Shoulder slimming treats the upper trapezius, the muscle that runs from your neck to the point of your shoulder. When it is overdeveloped or chronically tense, it builds a thick ridge that shortens the look of the neck and pulls the shoulder line up. I relax that upper portion with botulinum toxin, and over a couple of weeks the muscle softens and thins. The shoulder line drops, and the neck looks longer.
Shoulder Slimming
This is one of the treatments I do most often, and what I find interesting is what happens to posture. When the overactive upper trap quiets down, the shoulders tend to settle down and back, and patients often stand more openly. My read is that taking the pull off the dominant upper fibres lets the lower trapezius do more of its job, the same rebalancing a physiotherapist works toward for rounded, tense shoulders. The muscle thinning is the proven part. The posture change is what I see consistently in my own patients.
To soften and slim a prominent or tense upper trapezius, lower the shoulder line, and lengthen the appearance of the neck. Many patients also find it eases the tension they carry across the tops of the shoulders.
Gradual. The relaxing effect begins within a few days, and the visible slimming builds over one to two weeks as the muscle softens and thins. Results develop further with repeat sessions.
None to minimal. You can return to your day right away. Some tenderness at the injection sites is normal.
Manageable. It is a deeper injection than a facial area, but most patients tolerate it well. I work to keep you comfortable throughout.
The relaxing effect typically lasts three to four months. The slimming can read a little longer as the muscle atrophies, and it is fully reversible. Most patients return every few months at first, and many can space treatments out over time as the muscle weakens. Because the trapezius is a large muscle, it needs considerably more units than a facial area, and I dose to your individual muscle size and goals rather than a fixed number.