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Is a square face something you are born with? In fact, there are two causes. The first is a naturally wide, outward-flaring bone structure. The second is acquired: teeth grinding or a habit of eating hard foods makes the masseter muscles overly thick, giving the face an angular outline. Can a square face only be improved with “facial contouring surgery” or “botulinum toxin” to suppress the muscle? Today we share “zero-cost” tips for improving a square face. Done correctly, they can also help, so let's take a look together!
What Is a Square Face?
A square face, commonly called a boxy face, a flat wide face, or a home-plate face, is mainly caused by abnormal growth of the jaw angles on both sides, which protrude excessively backward and downward or outward, making the width of the jaw almost equal to the width of the cheekbones. Some people also have a jaw that is too short, so the face looks rectangular or square from the front, and from the side the jaw angles clearly protrude.
Visually, the face looks squared-off, with an angular outline. And on a woman, it can look more masculine and may come across as older, domineering, or tough. But people with square faces are also said to be hardworking and active, dislike sitting idle, love throwing themselves wholeheartedly into their work, and have the virtue of perseverance. So a square face is neither good nor bad; it only matters whether you like it!
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Types of Square Faces
(1) Skeletal Square Face (Congenital Square Face)
The main cause is that the lower jawbone protrudes and grows outward, making the jaw nearly as wide as the face, resulting in a square proportion. This type of square face is mostly hereditary and is usually corrected with facial contouring surgery.
(2) Muscular Square Face
This type of square face is mostly caused by masseter hypertrophy, whether the masseters are naturally too thick or develop later because of personal habits, such as frequently chewing tapioca pearls, gum, and other hard foods or foods that require constant chewing. Treatment usually involves botulinum toxin injections to reduce muscle strength and refine the contour.
(3) Fatty Square Face
Fat accumulation enlarges the jaw area, making the face look wide and square. If you have this type of square face, besides slimming down to reduce fat, we also recommend getting lipolysis injections, or undergoing neck lift surgery (platysmaplasty) or buccal fat removal to improve it.
(4) Sagging Square Face
When the cheek muscles age and loosen and the skin gradually loses elasticity, a face that was originally V-shaped gradually becomes U-shaped, giving the visual impression of a square face. This is the sagging type of square face, and it is usually recommended to improve it with facial lifting procedures.
How to Test Whether Your Masseter Muscles Are Too Bulky, or Whether You Have a Square Face
🔎 How to Check Your Masseter Muscles
(1) Place both hands on your cheeks, just behind the jaw near the ears
(2) Bite down hard and feel the muscle move
🔎 If You Can Clearly Feel the Muscles Bulge
It means your masseter muscles are overdeveloped. To improve this, you can choose Botox face slimming to relax the masseters for a slimmer face!
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Common Ways to Improve a Square Face
Option 1: Facial Contouring Surgery (Face-Softening Surgery)
Facial contouring surgery (face-softening surgery) is a procedure that removes part of the cheekbones, jawbone, and other bones to adjust the facial lines and make the facial contour more attractive. Although facial contouring surgery is an invasive procedure, modern minimally invasive techniques leave smaller wounds, placed on both sides of the gums where peripheral nerve sensitivity is low, so the pain is milder and scarring is less likely.
Facial contouring surgery (face-softening surgery) emphasizes the golden ratio, and the angle of every area needs special attention to adjust. So once you decide to have surgery, be sure to find a rigorous, safe clinic, choose a board-certified plastic surgeon with extensive facial contouring experience and a good aesthetic eye, and follow professional assessments and advice. This is how you reduce all risks and reach the result you want!
When the face is as angular as a square face, it gives a visual impression of being stern and severe. If the doctor determines it is a congenital skeletal square face, facial contouring surgery (face-softening surgery) is usually chosen.
Does “Facial Bone Contouring” Fail? A Complete Guide to Facial Contouring Surgery
Option 2: Buccal Fat Removal / Lipolysis Injections
Buccal fat removal can reduce the number of fat cells, refining the face shape while also lowering the chance of regaining fat. Ultrasonic liposuction can also melt fat and tighten the skin, and it is an invasive treatment. For those who don't want surgery, you can consider lipolysis injections. Lipolysis injections contain ingredients that break down and eliminate fat, causing fat to dissolve and be gradually eliminated from the body through metabolism. These are all safe and effective treatments.
For fatty and sagging square faces, buccal fat removal surgery or lipolysis injections are both good options.
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Option 3: Botulinum Toxin
Botulinum toxin is a natural protein purified and extracted from Clostridium botulinum using advanced technology. It inhibits the nerve endings' release of acetylcholine, which causes muscles to contract and stimulates glands to secrete, and it is divided into seven serotypes, A through G, according to their different antigenicity. Botox uses botulinum toxin type A, which has the strongest potency and the longest duration.
For patients with a muscular square face, botulinum toxin injections are usually recommended.
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A note: the exact treatment should be decided after a professional doctor's assessment, so that you receive the approach that suits you!
Improve a Square Face at Zero Cost
Masseter Massage 1: Fist Massage
Apply essential oil or a moisturizing cream to your hands, then make fists with both hands and push up from the chin along the jawline to just below the ears. After finding the spot where the masseter bulges, massage in backward circles for 30 seconds, then in forward circles for 30 seconds. You can also add extra circular massage on the side where the masseter is more developed.
Masseter Massage 2: Thumb Massage
To further relax the masseters, first extend your thumbs, place them on the masseter muscles, and begin massaging in focused circles for 1 minute or so.
Masseter Massage 3: Relaxing the Muscles Below the Ears
When you eat, the muscles below your ears also work hard. Bend the index and middle fingers of both hands and position them in front of and behind your earlobes, then massage “inward” for 1 minute.
Masseter Massage 4: Improve a Double Chin
Tilt your head up in a “kiss the sky” motion while making an “oo” mouth shape. You will feel a noticeable aching and tightness in your masseters and jaw. Hold the position for 30 seconds, rest briefly, and repeat for another 30 seconds.
This article is for general information only. Results vary from person to person; please consult a doctor in person before deciding on any treatment.
