Botox to lift the corners of the mouth

The muscles around the mouth work together for speech, eating, smiling, and facial expression. A small amount of botulinum toxin may reduce the downward pull from a targeted muscle, but it cannot replace lost skin support or correct every line around the lips. The mouth is a high-movement area, so precision matters. Your clinician should assess your smile, lip movement, dental and jaw history, facial balance, and whether the corner position changes at rest or mainly with expression. Botulinum toxin type A is the active material used in many formulations.

Choose a clinician who regularly treats the lower face. Share any difficulty swallowing, speaking, drinking, or controlling saliva, along with neuromuscular conditions, allergies, pregnancy or breastfeeding, and medicines or supplements. Ask for a conservative plan because excess weakening near the mouth can affect smiling, speech, sipping, or eating. Follow the clinic’s aftercare instructions, and do not rub or press the injection points. Mild tenderness or bruising may occur while the area settles.

Contact the clinic if your smile becomes notably uneven, liquid escapes from your mouth, speech changes, or eating becomes difficult. Seek urgent help for trouble breathing or swallowing, rapidly spreading weakness, or severe symptoms. Persistent numbness, significant pain, or swelling should be reviewed rather than treated as an expected cosmetic change.

Ask which muscle is creating the downward pull, how your smile might change, and whether dermal fillers or another approach would address loss of support more directly. Clarify the intended degree of lift, review timing, aftercare, and the response plan for mouth weakness.