How to determine whether the masseter muscle is hypertrophic

We all know that in order to chew, we need to use the masseter muscle. But for some female friends who love beauty, if the masseter muscle is hypertrophic, it will make the cheeks look very bloated. But sometimes, puffy cheeks are not just caused by enlarged masseter muscles. Therefore, everyone needs to learn how to judge whether their masseter muscles are enlarged. The judgment method is as follows:

How does masseter muscle hypertrophy occur?

Some people with enlarged masseter muscles have congenital genes, some have acquired bad chewing habits, and some may be caused by disease. Before losing weight, we must first find out the cause of our enlarged masseter muscles.

Causes of masseter muscle hypertrophy: 1. Genetically determined

Masseter muscle hypertrophy is indeed related to genetic factors. Some people are born with a wide jaw and a standard square face, which is very ugly. In fact, the phenomenon of masseter muscle hypertrophy does exist in the family.

Tips: Genetic masseter muscle hypertrophy is not unchangeable. As long as you work hard, pay attention to your diet, and do more face-slimming massages, you can still control the masseter muscle. Alternatively, getting a face-slimming injection specifically for masseter muscle hypertrophy is also very effective. However, there are certain risks in getting a face-slimming injection, so be careful.

Causes of masseter muscle hypertrophy: 2. Chewing too frequently

Genes determine the size of the masseter muscle, but some acquired eating habits can also cause masseter muscle hypertrophy. For example, people who like to chew betel nuts or chewing gum, as well as those who often eat hard food, will gradually become larger and harder due to excessive chewing, which will greatly affect the shape of the face.

Correct approach: Change bad eating habits in life, do not eat hard food for a long time, eat soft liquid food regularly, and do not chew betel nuts or chewing gum often. Especially for those who have enlarged masseter muscles, they should eat less food that is difficult to chew.

Causes of masseter hypertrophy: 3. Masseter space infection

Masseter space infection refers to a purulent infection in the masseter space. The main clinical manifestations are acute inflammatory redness, swelling, throbbing pain, and tenderness centered on the masseter muscle. The infection in this space can spread forward to the buccal space; upward, bypass the mandibular notch and spread to the pterygomandibular space and infratemporal fossa; through the deep side of the zygomatic arch, it can reach the temporal fossa; downward, it can spread to the submandibular space, and even posteriorly and inferiorly to the parotid gland, causing parotid abscess.

Correct approach: In case of cellulitis in the masseter space, in addition to systemic application of antibiotics, local physical therapy or external application of Chinese medicine can be used; once an abscess is formed, it should be drained in time.

Causes of masseter hypertrophy: 4. Benign hypertrophy of the lower masseter

The causes of masseter muscle hypertrophy are often accompanied by mandibular angle hypertrophy, mandibular angle eversion, etc., so masseter muscle hypertrophy is clinically called mandibular angle hypertrophy or benign masseter muscle hypertrophy. The "work-related" cause of benign hypertrophy of the masseter muscle is the theory of "work-related hypertrophy".

The habit of clenching teeth, grinding teeth at night and excessive work of the chewing muscles cause benign progressive hypertrophy of the masseter muscles. Some scholars have added that tooth loss, toothache, unilateral chewing, various occlusal disorders and temporomandibular joint diseases, as well as habitual clenching of teeth during emotional instability may all contribute to benign hypertrophy of the masseter muscle.

Correct approach: For Asians, the main cause is the hypertrophy of the mandibular angle bone, including excessive posterior protrusion, eversion or both. Therefore, the focus of treatment is mainly on osteotomy and plastic surgery of the mandibular angle. Surgery is considered to be the first choice and the most effective way to treat mandibular hypertrophy.

Experts point out that in order to determine whether the masseter muscle is hypertrophic, the location of the masseter muscle must be clearly identified. The masseter muscle is a muscle located on the outer side of the zygomatic bone, between the zygomatic arch and the mandibular angle, and is distributed obliquely outward from top to bottom. Some people are born with enlarged masseter muscles. People who chew frequently will also have enlarged masseter muscles due to repeated exercise, just like the well-developed muscles of a bodybuilder.

Pan Duan's method to determine whether your masseter muscles are large or not: While you close your mouth and clench your teeth, touch the masseter muscles on both sides at the angle of your mandible to feel the contraction range and thickness of the masseter muscles. If your masseter muscle is relatively large, you can clearly feel the larger range and thicker thickness of the masseter muscle when you contract it. In addition, X-ray examination can also be used, which mainly examines the hypertrophy of the mandible and mandibular angle.

For a square face caused by masseter muscle hypertrophy, we can improve the face shape by injecting botulinum toxin (often called face-slimming injection) and masseter muscle resection. Mild or asymmetrical masseter muscle hypertrophy can be addressed with botulinum toxin injections. Botulinum toxin is a neuromuscular blocker, a drug that paralyzes parts of the muscles for a period of time. Due to muscle paralysis, motor strength is weakened, and at the same time, muscle nutrition is reduced, causing the muscles to gradually atrophy and become smaller in appearance, which is the desired face-slimming effect. In addition, as an intramuscular injectable drug, botulinum toxin has no obvious side effects. It does not affect normal life after injection, leaves no scars on the surface, and does not affect the skin and normal muscle function. One to three weeks after the injection, you can observe that the face gradually becomes thinner, achieving a "thin face" effect, which generally lasts for about 6 to 10 months.

For more severe masseter muscle hypertrophy, masseter muscle resection can be performed. Masseter muscle resection surgery is performed intraorally, and the amount of muscle removed is determined based on the preoperative examination. Because the mandibular angle must be removed at the same time when the masseter muscle is removed, the masseter muscle itself will atrophy to a certain extent 3 to 6 months after the operation, so the amount of masseter muscle removed generally does not exceed one-third of the thickness of the masseter muscle. After masseter muscle resection, the face needs to be bandaged with pressure for one week and the stitches need to be removed. The postoperative recovery time is relatively long, more than three weeks.