More than a wrinkle relaxer.
Dr. Kim has personally performed every wrinkle relaxer injection in his practice since 2013 — over 20,000 injections and counting. As a facial plastic surgeon whose practice is dedicated exclusively to the face, head, and neck, he brings the same surgical-level anatomical precision to every injection that he applies in the operating room. Over a decade of hands-on experience, built entirely around this one anatomy, means every treatment reflects a working understanding of the muscles, nerves, and structures beneath the skin — not just familiarity with a product.
Dynamic wrinkles — the lines that appear when you frown, squint, or raise your eyebrows — form over years of repeated muscle contraction. Left untreated, these dynamic creases can gradually become etched into the skin even at rest.
Wrinkle relaxers work by temporarily blocking the nerve signal that tells a specific muscle to contract, softening the movement that creates the line without affecting surrounding muscles or your ability to express emotion naturally.
All three are FDA-approved botulinum toxin type A formulations that work through the same basic mechanism, with meaningful differences in molecular size, onset speed, and diffusion pattern. Dr. Kim offers all three, and will recommend the product best suited to your treatment area and goals during consultation.
Dysport's abobotulinumtoxinA molecule is smaller and carries a lighter accessory-protein load than onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox), which allows it to diffuse more evenly across a treated muscle rather than concentrating at the point of injection. For broad, sheet-like muscles such as the frontalis (forehead) and orbicularis oculi (crow's feet), this produces a smoother, more evenly distributed relaxation with fewer injection points.
Clinical comparisons have also consistently shown Dysport has the fastest onset of the three — visible softening is often noticeable within 24 hours, compared to roughly 2–3 days for Botox and 3–4 days for Xeomin — while all three deliver comparable efficacy and duration by the one-month mark.
Xeomin, notably, is formulated without the accessory proteins found in Botox and Dysport. This can make it a useful option for patients who have developed resistance or antibody response to another product, and Dr. Kim keeps it available for exactly that scenario. But for the majority of patients — where speed of onset, even diffusion, and predictable dosing across larger treatment areas matter most — the published comparative literature supports Dysport as Dr. Kim's default choice.
Treatment itself typically takes 10–15 minutes and involves a series of small injections placed precisely into the targeted muscles. Most patients describe the sensation as a quick pinch, and no anesthesia is required. You can resume normal activities immediately afterward, with the exception of strenuous exercise for the remainder of the day.
Results typically begin appearing within 24 hours to a few days and reach full effect by about two weeks, lasting on average 3–4 months before the muscle gradually regains its normal movement and a touch-up treatment is needed.
Reconstituted neuromodulator has a short window of guaranteed potency — per Dysport's own labeling, unused product should be discarded within 24 hours of mixing. Our practice holds to that standard strictly, as a matter of quality control: product is prepared and used promptly, never left to sit across days or weeks of occasional use. It's a small operational detail, but one that directly affects the consistency and potency of what's actually being injected into your face.
Muscle training and atrophy. Repeated neuromodulator treatment doesn't just relax a muscle temporarily — over a course of treatments, the targeted muscle can undergo mild, controlled atrophy from disuse, similar to what happens to any muscle that stops being exercised. This is a feature, not a side effect, when the goal is a bulky muscle like the masseter (jaw) — repeated treatment gradually and predictably slims the muscle for a narrower lower face. Published long-term studies confirm this dose-dependent weakening and volume loss in treated muscle, which is exactly the mechanism Dr. Kim relies on for jaw contouring.
Skin quality itself. Beyond muscle relaxation, intradermal micro-dosing of neuromodulator — injected superficially rather than into the muscle — has been shown in clinical studies to reduce pore size and sebum (oil) production and to measurably increase collagen synthesis in the treated skin, improving overall skin texture independent of any wrinkle-softening effect.
Scar optimization. When a muscle beneath a healing incision or wound keeps pulling on the tissue as it repairs, the resulting scar tends to widen and thicken. Injecting a neuromodulator into the muscle beneath a fresh surgical or traumatic wound reduces that mechanical tension during the critical early healing window, and multiple clinical studies — including meta-analyses of surgical and facial trauma scars — have found this measurably improves final scar width and appearance. Dr. Kim uses this technique selectively for high-tension incisions and traumatic facial lacerations.
The emotion connection. There is a growing body of neuroscience research, sometimes called the facial feedback hypothesis, suggesting the frown muscles between the brows don't just express negative emotion — they may help sustain it, via sensory signals sent back to the brain's emotional centers. Clinical trials treating these muscles with botulinum toxin have shown measurable improvements in mood, and imaging studies have found reduced activation of the amygdala in response to negative stimuli after treatment. This research is still evolving, but it's a striking example of how a purely cosmetic treatment may have effects that extend well past the mirror.
The glabella (frown lines), forehead, and crow's feet are the best-known applications, but they're far from the only ones. Dr. Kim regularly uses Dysport, Botox, or Xeomin for:
This varies significantly by treatment area, muscle strength, and individual goals. Dr. Kim determines the appropriate dose during your consultation and treatment, tailoring it to achieve a natural, balanced result rather than applying a one-size-fits-all amount.
Most patients describe only mild, brief discomfort — often compared to a quick pinch — during the injections themselves. No numbing is typically required, though it can be requested for patients with lower pain tolerance.
Wrinkle relaxers address dynamic lines caused by muscle movement, while dermal fillers restore lost volume in areas like the cheeks or lips. Many patients use both together as part of a comprehensive, non-surgical rejuvenation plan — see our dermal filler page for more detail.
Not with proper technique and dosing. Dr. Kim's approach is designed to soften targeted expression lines while preserving natural movement and expression elsewhere in the face — the goal is a refreshed look, not a frozen one.
For most treatment areas, Dysport's faster onset and more even diffusion through larger, sheet-like muscles produce a smoother result with fewer injection points. Dr. Kim still offers Botox and Xeomin, and will recommend whichever product best fits your specific anatomy, treatment area, or prior response to neuromodulator treatment.
Yes — well beyond it. Beyond the glabella, forehead, and crow's feet, neuromodulators are used for jawline slimming (masseter reduction), neck banding, a subtle non-surgical brow lift, lip flip, correcting a downturned mouth, gummy smile correction, and even optimizing the appearance of certain scars. Ask Dr. Kim during consultation which applications might be relevant to your goals.
"Dr. Kim always gets it just right — natural, never overdone. I've been going to him for years."
"Quick, easy appointment and beautiful, natural results every time."
"Friendly staff, minimal wait, and I always leave looking refreshed, not fake."