Botox can be injected in more than a dozen spots across the face, from the forehead down to the chin. The two areas with full FDA approval for cosmetic use are the frown lines between the eyebrows and the crow’s feet at the outer corners of the eyes, but practitioners routinely treat the forehead, jawline, lips, nose, and chin as well. Where you get injected depends on which lines or concerns bother you most, and each area comes with its own typical dose, timeline, and risks worth understanding.
Between the Eyebrows (Frown Lines)
The vertical “11” lines that form between your eyebrows are called glabellar lines, and they were the original FDA-approved target for cosmetic Botox. The injections relax the muscles that pull your brows together when you squint or concentrate. Most people need 15 to 25 units in this area, spread across three to five injection points.
This zone carries the highest risk of eyelid drooping, which happens in roughly 3% of treatments. The issue occurs when the product migrates to a nearby muscle that lifts the upper eyelid. Skilled injectors reduce this risk by keeping the needle shallow near the outer edges of the brow and sometimes limiting injections to three central points rather than five. If drooping does occur, it’s temporary, typically resolving within a few weeks.
Forehead Lines
Horizontal forehead lines respond well to Botox, usually requiring 10 to 30 units placed across several points on the forehead muscle. The goal is to soften the lines without completely freezing your ability to raise your eyebrows, which can make the face look flat or unnaturally still.
Because the forehead muscle is the only thing holding your brows up, overtreating this area can cause brow heaviness, where your eyebrows sit lower than normal and make your eyelids feel heavy. Your injector will typically balance the forehead dose with whatever was used between the eyebrows to keep everything looking natural.
Crow’s Feet
The fan-shaped wrinkles at the outer corners of your eyes are the second FDA-approved cosmetic treatment area. These lines form from the circular muscle that surrounds each eye, and they deepen every time you smile or squint. The typical dose is 5 to 15 units per side, placed across two or three points just outside the orbital bone.
Crow’s feet tend to respond quickly and predictably. Because the skin here is thin, results often show up within a few days. This area also carries relatively low risk compared to the brow region, since there are fewer critical muscles nearby.
Lip Flip
A lip flip uses tiny amounts of Botox along the upper lip to relax the muscle that circles the mouth. When this muscle loosens slightly, the upper lip rolls outward, creating the appearance of a fuller lip without filler. The technique involves two to four injection points just above the pink border of the upper lip, with one to two units per point.
Central injections let the middle of the lip evert, while lateral injections near the corners balance the effect so the entire lip rolls outward evenly. The total dose is small, usually 4 to 8 units, making it one of the least expensive Botox treatments. The tradeoff: results are subtle, and some people notice temporary difficulty drinking through a straw or pronouncing certain sounds in the first few days.
Jawline (Masseter)
Injecting the large chewing muscle at the angle of the jaw can slim a square jawline or relieve teeth grinding. The ideal injection zone sits about 5 centimeters below the cheekbone, centered on the thickest part of the muscle. This is a deeper injection than most facial Botox, placed close to the bone to target the bulk of the muscle effectively.
Masseter treatments require higher doses than other areas, often 20 to 40 units per side, and the slimming effect develops gradually over several weeks as the muscle slowly shrinks from reduced activity. Results here tend to last longer than in smaller muscles, sometimes four to six months.
Bunny Lines on the Nose
Bunny lines are the diagonal wrinkles that appear on either side of the nose when you scrunch it. Interestingly, the wrinkles themselves form over a zone with no muscle underneath. The creases are actually pulled into place by surrounding muscles, primarily the one that runs across the upper nasal sidewall. Small injections of 1 to 2 units along the top border of that muscle soften the lines effectively. If the wrinkles extend toward the inner corner of the eye, a conservative injection there can help as well.
Gummy Smile
If your upper lip rises too high when you smile, exposing a wide band of gum tissue, Botox can calm the muscles responsible. The primary target is a muscle that runs alongside the nose and lifts both the lip and the nostril. Practitioners often use a well-known injection landmark called the Yonsei point, located just to the side of the nostril where three lip-elevating muscles converge. A few units here limit how far the lip rides up without affecting your overall smile shape.
Chin Dimpling
A “pebbly” or dimpled chin comes from overactivity of the muscle on the chin pad. When this muscle contracts, it pulls the skin inward at multiple points, creating an orange-peel texture. A small dose of Botox into the center of the chin relaxes the muscle and smooths the skin. This is one of the simplest treatment areas, typically requiring only 2 to 6 units.
What to Expect After Treatment
Botox doesn’t work instantly. Most people notice initial changes within 2 to 3 days, with the full effect building over about 30 days. In clinical studies comparing different brands, roughly 84% of the maximum result was already visible within the first four days, but fine-tuning continues for weeks. If you’re getting Botox before an event, plan at least two weeks ahead.
Duration varies by area and by person. For the frown lines, the effect lasts an average of 120 to 145 days, with women typically getting a few extra weeks compared to men. Smaller muscles like those around the lips may wear off faster, while bulkier muscles like the masseter often hold results longer. Most people settle into a routine of treatments every three to four months for the upper face.
Areas That Need Extra Caution
Not every part of the face tolerates Botox equally. A few zones deserve particular care:
- Near the upper eyelid. Injections placed too deep or too close to the brow’s inner edge can cause the product to reach the muscle that opens the eyelid, leading to a temporary droop.
- Around the mouth. The muscles here control speech, eating, and drinking. Even slightly too much product can make it hard to purse your lips or keep liquid in your mouth. Low doses and precise placement are essential.
- Beside the nostril. Treating bunny lines or a gummy smile too aggressively near the nose can weaken the muscles that flare the nostril or support the upper lip, causing a droopy appearance.
The common thread across all these risk zones is that muscles in the face sit close together and overlap. Product can migrate a few millimeters from the injection site, which is why injector experience matters as much as the treatment plan itself. Choosing someone who understands the layered anatomy of facial muscles, not just where to place the needle on the surface, is the single most important factor in getting a good result.