Special-Area Botox
특수부위 보톡스 · also: 침샘보톡스, salivary gland botox, masseter TMJ botox, gummy smile botox
A cluster of targeted toxin injections that barely exist in English-language guides but are standard on a Korean menu: salivary glands to slim a round lower face, the jaw joint for clenching and grinding, the temporalis muscle, and the upper lip for a gummy smile.
This breaks the skin or carries vascular/systemic risk, so a medical intake is required before treatment.
How it works
Each target uses the same mechanism — blocking the nerve signal to a muscle or gland — but the anatomy is unforgiving and the doses are specific. Parotid and submandibular glands shrink and produce less saliva when injected; the masseter and temporalis relax and slim; a small, precisely placed dose in the upper lip stops it from riding too high over the gums.
Intramuscular injection · acts at 3–15 mm · deepest layer: Muscle
Where botulinum toxin acts to relax movement or slim a bulky muscle.
Scale extended to 15 mm — this treatment goes deeper than the facial-skin reference. Depths are indicative and vary by device, cartridge, body area and individual.
Intramuscular injection
Delivered into the muscle itself to block the nerve signal telling it to contract.
People choose this for
Products & devices used
Not all "Special-Area Botox" is the same — the specific brand or machine changes the price and the feel. Common options in Korea:
The original American botulinum toxin and the brand most foreign visitors already know by name.
Who asks for it: Western travelers often arrive knowing only 'Botox' and don't realize Korean toxins are equivalent — clinics explain this at consult.
Premium Korean toxin sold abroad as Jeuveau; US-, EU- and China-approved, which makes it an easy trust bridge for tourists.
Who asks for it: The overseas approval of Jeuveau reassures Western and Chinese patients who want a known-safe brand at a Korean price.
A complex-protein-free ('naked') toxin positioned to lower the chance of resistance with repeat use.
Who asks for it: Favored by repeat patients worried about long-term antibody resistance.
What it does
- ✓Slimmer lower-face outline
- ✓Less jaw clenching and grinding
- ✓Reduced temple bulk
- ✓Less gum shown when smiling
Good for you if
- •A round jaw that isn't fat or bone
- •Bruxism and TMJ tension
- •Gummy smile
- •Faces that stayed wide after masseter botox
Aftercare
- ✓Stay upright for about 4 hours and don't rub the injected area.
- ✓Chew softly for a day or two after jaw-joint or masseter injections.
- ✓Report difficulty swallowing or noticeable asymmetry to the clinic promptly.
Not suitable if
- !Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- !Neuromuscular disorders.
- !Existing dry mouth or salivary gland disease, for gland injections.
- !Previous unsatisfactory or uneven result — get it assessed before repeating.
FAQ
Why would salivary glands make my face look wide?
Enlarged parotid glands sit just in front of and below the ears and add real width to the lower face. If your jaw looks full but isn't fat and isn't bone, the glands are a common and often missed cause — which is exactly why some people see little from masseter botox alone.
Will my mouth go dry?
Some reduction in saliva is the point, and mild dryness can happen. Significant dry mouth or difficulty swallowing means the dose or placement was wrong, so this is not an injection to bargain-hunt.
Is gummy-smile botox risky?
It's very dose-sensitive. A slightly heavy hand gives an uneven or stiff smile for a few months. Choose the doctor, not the price.
Why is pre-screening required here?
These targets sit close to nerves and structures that matter for swallowing, chewing and expression. A proper consultation with palpation of the actual anatomy is not optional.
Price range by care tier
Market ranges for reference — actual quotes depend on the clinic, doctor and area.
Before you compare quotes: what this price is actually per
- Priced per treated area, and clinics define 'area' differently. Ask exactly which zones your quote covers.
Priced per target area, again on the origin ladder — one Seoul list ran ₩70k to ₩250k for salivary gland injection depending purely on the toxin's country of origin, and special-area injections ₩100k to ₩290k. These are the higher-skill injections on the menu, so the doctor's experience matters more here than the brand does.
Won prices quoted above are from a dated reference price list for one Seoul clinic chain (2026-07-24), used to show the shape of pricing — not a national average, and not a quote. Prices include 10% VAT: the foreign-patient cosmetic VAT refund ended on 31 December 2025.
How it compares
Special-Area Botox beside the other Botox & Fillers options travellers usually weigh against it.
| Comparison factor | Special-Area Botox특수부위 보톡스 | Botox (Jaw / Face Slimming)보톡스 | Skin Botox스킨보톡스 | Hyaluronic Filler필러 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best at | The face injections nobody explains in English | Face-slimming & wrinkle relaxing | Pore-tightening micro-botox | Volume & contour on demand |
| Depth reached | Muscle · 3–15 mm | Muscle · 4–10 mm | Dermis · 0.3–1 mm | Fat layer · 2–8 mm |
| How it works | Intramuscular injection | Intramuscular injection | Intradermal injection | Deep injection |
| Downtime | None | None | 0–1 days | 0–2 days |
| Pain | gentlest | |||
| Visits for full result | 1 visit | 1–3 visits | 1 visit | 1 visit |
| Results last | 4–6 months | 3–6 months | 3–4 months | 9–18 months by area & product |
| Trip fit | Any trip — one visit, no recovery days | Any trip — one visit, no recovery days | Any trip — one visit, no recovery days | One visit, plus recovery days to plan around |
| Priced per | per area | per unit of toxin · per area | per area | per cc injected |
| From | ₩70k–150k | ₩50k–120k | ₩80k–150k | ₩150k–300k |
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