More than a decade in cosmetic medicine
His work includes facial assessment, injectable treatments, laser skin treatments and planning care around each patient’s goals.
Facial slimming · Personally with Dr Josh Wall
Facial & masseter slimmingSydney
Want a slimmer, softer jawline? A square or wide lower face often comes from a strong chewing muscle, the masseter. Relaxing it lets the muscle gradually become smaller. Dr Josh shows you how much of your width is muscle, then plans the change you want.
Complimentary consultation in Bondi Junction, Sydney.
See when the slimmer shape shows.
- ShowsHow much of your width is muscle
- PlansThe jaw shape you want
- ReviewsYour result as it settles
The immediate answer
What does masseter slimming do?
When a strong masseter is what makes the jaw look wide, relaxing it lets the muscle gradually become smaller. The angle of the jaw looks slimmer and softer, and the face can look more tapered. How far you take it is your choice.
It works on muscle. It does not change the jawbone, remove fat or tighten skin, and Dr Josh shows you which part of your width is which.
If you also clench or grind, the same treatment can ease that force. Your dentist still looks after your teeth. See jaw clenching treatment.
A wide jaw is not always muscle
What is creating the lower-face width?
Choose a pattern. Compare relaxed and clenched muscle, or wider and narrower outlines. These illustrations cannot show how your own skin will respond.
Illustrated comparison, not a patient result or a prediction. Dr Josh assesses your own jaw in person.
The treatable part
Feel the muscle before planning to slim it
Clench your teeth and the jaw muscle bulges at the angle of the jaw. Dr Josh feels it at rest and while you clench, records any difference between the sides, and checks your chewing and smile before treatment.
Treatment first reduces how hard the muscle works. Any visible slimming depends on the muscle becoming less bulky over the following weeks, so it is gradual rather than instant.
Not every width is muscle
A broad jawbone will not shrink with muscle treatment
Some faces are wide because of the bone, some because of the muscle, and some have both. The muscle part may narrow while the bony width stays. Soft fullness from fat, or from the gland in front of the ear, needs its own assessment, and relaxing the muscle beneath it may give little slimming or reveal hollows.
Dr Josh sets the likely limit before treatment and will not promise a V-shaped jaw. Swelling on one side, a change or tenderness is checked medically rather than treated cosmetically.
The trade-off
A narrower jaw can reveal what was resting over it
The jaw muscle adds some bulk beneath the skin. When it slims, existing looseness or a jowl can become more noticeable, especially with thin skin or after weight loss. That is not inevitable, but Dr Josh checks the lower face before reducing a strong supporting muscle, and tells you honestly how slimming is likely to look on your face.
If you would like to keep some fullness, a lighter plan or a longer gap between treatments are both options.
When you will see it
When your jaw will look slimmer
The muscle relaxes within days. The slimmer shape follows more slowly, as the muscle itself becomes smaller.
Your jaw shape
The change you see in the mirror.
- The slimmer shape starts to showThe muscle begins to reduce in size.
- Your shape reviewDr Josh reviews how your jaw looks with you.
- At its slimmestThis is when Dr Josh can judge the full change with you.
- Then it gradually returnsYou decide whether and when to repeat.
How it feels
Chewing force and any clenching.
- The muscle starts to relaxChewing can feel lighter and clenching eases.
- Full relaxing effectDr Josh reviews your muscle strength.
- Strength gradually returnsThe shape change lasts longer than this.
Timing varies from person to person. Your reviews are included.
Your consultation
What Dr Josh checks, and what you decide
Bring the shape you want, and any photos that show it. Dr Josh examines your jaw and explains what slimming can change for you.
- Your jaw, relaxed and clenchedHe feels each masseter, sees how much of your width is muscle and whether one side is stronger.
- Bone, fat and skinThese shape the jaw too. He tells you which part slimming can change and which will stay.
- Your smile and chewingNearby smile muscles and how you chew are noted, so the plan fits how you use your face.
- Skin supportIf your skin is looser or your face is already slim, he tells you honestly how slimming is likely to look.
- Clenching and grindingIf you clench, he explains how treatment eases that force too, and when to see your dentist.
You decide how far to go
From a subtle softening to a slimmer, more tapered jaw, the result is your choice. Dr Josh gives you honest advice on what is safe for your face, then plans the result you want.
Side effects and aftercare
What to expect after treatment
Dr Josh explains what to expect before you decide, and reviews you as the change develops.
- Tenderness and small marksThe jaw can feel a little tender, with small marks or a light bruise, for a day or two.
- Chewing feels differentChewing can tire more quickly for a while, especially with firm foods. Tell Dr Josh if eating is difficult or the change is persistent or worsening.
- Changes in your smileNearby expression muscles can be affected, changing smile symmetry or movement. If it happens, it usually settles within about 2 months. Tell Dr Josh, and he will check it.
- Uneven settlingPart of the muscle may bulge when you clench, or the sides may settle differently. Dr Josh checks the cause at your review and explains the options.
- A softer lower faceAs the muscle slims, jowls, loose skin or hollows can become more noticeable. Dr Josh talks this through with you beforehand.
Personally assessed and treated
Why choose Dr Josh Wall?
Your assessment, treatment and review are with Dr Josh Wall. He shows you which part of your width is muscle, then plans the jaw shape you want.
A slimmer jaw, your way
A slimmer jaw, planned around your face
Dr Josh has worked in cosmetic medicine for more than a decade. He records your smile and jaw shape before treatment, and reviews the result with you as it settles.
He gives you honest advice, including when another option would suit you better, then plans the result you choose.
Founder and former Medical Director
Dr Josh founded and served as Medical Director of Contour Clinics, where he recruited, trained and supervised more than 50 doctors and nurses.
Medicine and psychology
Dr Josh graduated Dux of the University of Wollongong Graduate School of Medicine with an MBBS with Distinction. He also holds a Bachelor of Psychology with Honours.
As seen in
Independent media authority
Dr Josh has made regular appearances on Channel 10’s Studio 10 as its cosmetic doctor, and is regularly invited by mainstream media to provide expert commentary on cosmetic medicine, laser and skin treatments.
Care in Bondi Junction, Sydney. Optional telehealth if you would like to talk first.
Fees and what is included
How much does facial slimming cost?
Why there is no price here: facial slimming uses a prescription-only medicine, and the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) does not allow clinics to publish prices for prescription-only medicines online. Send us an enquiry and Dr Josh can give you a same-day answer. Your consultation is complimentary.
Ask about the costYour consultation and review
| Your treatment plan | Quoted after assessment |
|---|---|
| Review after treatment | Included at no charge |
| Any further treatment | Discussed before proceeding |
Dr Josh explains your plan and total cost before treatment.
The booking button opens the Facial Structure & Volume Consultation, the right appointment for facial slimming. Clenching or grinding as well? Mention it, and Dr Josh can discuss both.
In person in Bondi Junction. See clinic details.
Book a facial slimming consultationPatient questions
Dr Josh Wall
Facial and masseter slimming questions, answered
Muscle versus bone and fat, clenching, chewing, smile, jowls, hollows, timing and cost.
Is the width really masseter muscle?
How do I know if my masseters are large?
They become firm and may visibly bulge when you clench. Dr Josh palpates each side at rest and during clenching and considers bone, fat, parotid region, skin and overall proportions.
Will masseter treatment slim any wide face?
It slims the part of the width that comes from the chewing muscle. If bone, fat or skin is the main cause, Dr Josh will tell you, and explain what would help instead.
Can it create a V-shaped face?
It can soften and narrow the lower face when a strong masseter is the cause. The final shape also depends on your bone structure, chin and skin.
Why is one side larger?
Chewing preference, clenching, dental relationships, baseline anatomy and previous treatment can contribute. New painful or progressive one-sided swelling needs medical assessment.
Is facial slimming the same as weight loss?
No. It reduces activity and, over time, bulk in a specific chewing muscle. It does not cause general facial fat loss or body-weight change.
Clenching, chewing and dental care
Does masseter treatment cure bruxism?
It can ease the force of clenching and grinding for many people. Grinding has several causes, so a dentist may also help, for example with a night guard.
Is it a treatment for TMJ disorder?
Jaw joint problems have many causes. Masseter treatment can ease muscle tension, and Dr Josh will suggest a dentist or specialist if your jaw joint needs its own assessment.
Can chewing become weaker?
Chewing weakness or fatigue can occur, particularly with tough foods. Its extent and duration vary. Contact the clinic if eating becomes difficult or the change persists or worsens so Dr Josh can assess it.
Could it affect my smile?
Yes. Spread to nearby expression muscles can limit or asymmetrically change the smile. Baseline smile asymmetry should be recorded first.
Do I still need a dental splint?
Follow your dentist’s advice. Muscle treatment does not protect teeth in the same way as a properly prescribed splint and does not correct the underlying bite.
Jowls, hollows and timing
Can masseter slimming cause jowls?
Yes. Reducing muscle bulk can make existing loose skin or jowls more noticeable. Dr Josh assesses your skin support and facial volume first, but planning cannot eliminate this risk.
Can it make my cheeks look hollow?
It can alter lower-face support and proportions, and sunken or hollow-looking cheeks are reported. This matters particularly in already-narrow or volume-deficient faces.
When does facial slimming become visible?
Dr Josh usually sees a change in the lower-face outline at two to four weeks, with the greatest change around two months. Muscle relaxation starts sooner, within a few days, and reaches its full effect at about two weeks. Timing varies.
How long does it last?
Dr Josh advises that muscle relaxation lasts about 3 to 4 months, while the change in facial width can last up to 6 months. Both vary. At review, he checks your shape, clenching and chewing before discussing whether further treatment would help.
What if part of the muscle still bulges?
A part of the muscle can still bulge when you clench. Dr Josh needs to examine the pattern before advising you. Further treatment may be an option, but it is not automatically needed or a guaranteed correction.
Safety, suitability and cost
What side effects can occur?
Tenderness, bruising, chewing weakness, smile changes, asymmetry or muscle bulging can occur. Jowls or hollows may become more noticeable. Contact the clinic on 1300 131 426 about unwanted changes in eating, smiling or appearance; a review assesses the cause before deciding what to do.
Severe trouble breathing or swallowing needs emergency medical help: call 000. Do not wait for a clinic reply or your routine review.
Who may not be suitable?
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, active infection, certain neuromuscular conditions or medicines, swallowing problems, significant laxity or a face whose width is not muscle-led may make treatment unsuitable.
Are product units interchangeable?
No. Units are specific to each prescription product. Comparing a unit number between brands can be misleading.
What does treatment cost?
Your consultation is complimentary. Cost is quoted after both masseters, goals, asymmetry and functional history are assessed. The product and total fee are explained before treatment.
Is a review included?
Yes. Your included review assesses clenching, chewing, smile, symmetry, bulging and the developing contour. More treatment is not automatic.
Bring your own questions. A consultation does not commit you to treatment.
Not ready to book?
Ask Dr Josh about facial slimming
Tell us whether your main concern is lower-face width, clenching, one side looking bigger or a previous result. A relaxed and a clenched photo is optional.
Your consultation with Dr Josh is complimentary. The clinic can help you choose the next step.
Clinical evidence and further reading
Care provided by Dr Josh Wall, registered medical practitioner, general registration (MED0001950710).