7 things you didn’t know about Botox, from pain to the side effects to look out for

When a writer started getting migraines and joint pain from subconsciously clenching her jaw, she decided to treat these symptoms with jaw Botox

Her Botox journey led her to discover some surprising facts about it, from why numbing agents aren’t always necessary to how it can reduce teeth grinding

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Writer Marisel Salazar before and after Botox. She got Botox to treat her jaw pain and migraines, and discovered some surprising things along the way.

Business Insider

Published: 2:30am, 30 Oct 2021Updated: 5:20am, 30 Oct 2021

By Marisel Salazar

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, I lost my income, social life and general way. To cope with this stress, I also started subconsciously clenching my jaw.

I didn’t think much of it until the sides of my usually slim face started looking more like Gaston’s from Beauty and the Beast. I also started getting weekly migraines and other temporomandibular-joint (TMJ) pain, which only made me clench more.

I decided to treat these symptoms with jaw Botox, and it was totally worth it, but there were several things that surprised me about the process.

Most are familiar with Botox for its wrinkle-smoothing powers, but it has other uses. Photo: Shutterstock

Botox isn’t just for preventing wrinkles

Most are familiar with Botox for its wrinkle-smoothing powers, but Dr Ryan Neinstein, the board-certified New York plastic surgeon who did my procedure, told me it can also help reduce pain and aid in functional recovery.