{"id":8455,"date":"2026-04-25T15:19:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T15:19:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/?p=8455"},"modified":"2026-04-25T15:19:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T15:19:15","slug":"i-spent-years-waking-up-with-splintering-headaches-from-grinding-my-teeth-then-i-tried-botox-at-24","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/?p=8455","title":{"rendered":"I spent years waking up with splintering headaches from grinding my teeth – then I tried Botox at 24"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n

When I told my friends I was getting Botox<\/a>, I was met with a few raised eyebrows.<\/p>\n

At 24, with a face that still gets me mistaken for a teenager, it sounded like a cosmetic choice. It wasn’t.<\/p>\n

I don’t know exactly when it started, but in recent years I’ve caught myself constantly tensing my jaw and grinding my teeth – at work, in the evenings, even in my sleep.<\/p>\n

I’d wake up with a headache, my jaw already aching before the day had begun.<\/p>\n

It got to the point where my subconscious habit was getting on my boyfriend’s nerves. He started shouting ‘jaw!’ whenever I was being particularly loud.<\/p>\n

I tried everything: stress balls, holding my mouth open, gua sha for lymphatic drainage and chewing through endless packets of gum. Nothing worked.<\/p>\n

After hearing horror stories about people cracking their teeth from clenching so hard, I started looking for something that would actually make it stop.<\/p>\n

That’s when I came across masseter Botox – a procedure where Botox, most commonly used as an anti-wrinkle treatment, is injected into the jaw muscles to relax them.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"A <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

A plastic surgeon drew the incision points on my jawline before injecting the Botox<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The masseter muscles are rectangular muscles on either side of the jaw, responsible for chewing. In my case, they had become unusually strong after years of clenching.<\/p>\n

Botox works by temporarily relaxing muscles by blocking nerve signals, preventing them from contracting. Results typically last three to six months before a top-up is needed.<\/p>\n

Reduction in jaw tension can begin within the first two weeks, with full results developing between six and twelve weeks.<\/p>\n

For me, it felt like an easy decision. I’ve never had an issue with needles, and the idea that a quick, non-surgical procedure could relieve the constant pain in my jaw was hard to ignore.<\/p>\n

I was invited to try the treatment at The Aesthetics Doctor clinic in Mayfair, London, where sessions start from \u00a3350 and typically require 25 to 40 units per side.<\/p>\n

In comparison, in the UK, the cost of dental crowns for broken teeth typically ranges from \u00a3600 to \u00a31,800.<\/p>\n

There, I met Dr Katerina Kyprianou, who talked through my reasons for wanting the procedure before examining my jaw – pressing along the muscle as I clenched and released.<\/p>\n

She confirmed that I had very strong masseter muscles (not quite the compliment it sounds like) and said the treatment would likely bring some relief.<\/p>\n

I was given a medium dose of Botox, as a lower dose was unlikely to be effective in my case.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"Teeth <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Teeth grinding\u00a0 – also known as bruxism –\u00a0is the involuntary clenching or gnashing of teeth, often caused by stress, anxiety or sleep disorders<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"Bruxism <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Bruxism can lead to worn-down or broken teeth, which can cause increased sensitivity<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

I felt a sharp pain when the needle went in, but it was no worse than a routine injection at the doctor’s.<\/p>\n

Masseter Botox is often referred to as a ‘lunchtime treatment’ because it’s quick and non-surgical, usually taking no more than half an hour.<\/p>\n

I was able to stop by the clinic after work and was home eating dinner by 8pm. I was relieved to hear that – unlike when I previously had injections for dental work – I’d be able to eat as normal straight away.<\/p>\n

It took around three days before I noticed I wasn’t clenching my jaw as much, and by the two-week mark, the pain had significantly eased.<\/p>\n

I still occasionally feel the urge to clench, but it no longer happens subconsciously.<\/p>\n

Any changes to my face shape have been subtle, with a gradual softening rather than a dramatic visible difference.<\/p>\n

I’m currently two weeks in and interested to see how the results continue to develop.<\/p>\n

The effects are temporary, as the muscle gradually returns to its previous size over time, so I plan to return for a repeat treatment in three to six months.<\/p>\n

For now, I’m just relieved to have found something that finally eased the constant tension I didn’t even realise I was carrying.<\/p>\n

\n

What is bruxism?\u00a0<\/h3>\n
\n

Teeth grinding (bruxism) is often related to stress or anxiety.<\/p>\n

It’s not always clear what causes people to grind their teeth. It’s often linked to:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • stress and anxiety \u2013 this is the most common cause of teeth grinding<\/li>\n
  • sleep problems like snoring and sleep apnoea<\/li>\n
  • taking medicines for sleep problems, depression or anxiety<\/li>\n
  • smoking<\/li>\n
  • drinking lots of alcohol or caffeine\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Symptoms of teeth grinding\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    Teeth grinding can happen while you’re awake or asleep.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    As well as grinding your teeth and clenching your jaw, other symptoms can include:\u00a0<\/p>\n

      \n
    • a painful jaw, which can lead to a condition called temporomandibular disorder (TMD)\u00a0<\/li>\n
    • worn-down or broken teeth, which can cause increased sensitivity<\/li>\n
    • loss of teeth and fillings\u00a0<\/li>\n
    • headaches earache\u00a0<\/li>\n
    • disturbed sleep<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Source: NHS\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      When I told my friends I was getting Botox, I was met with a few raised eyebrows. At 24, with a face that still gets me mistaken for a teenager, it sounded like a cosmetic choice. It wasn’t. I don’t know exactly when it started, but in recent years I’ve caught myself constantly tensing my<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8456,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[520],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8455","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-hot"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8455","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8455"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8455\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8456"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8455"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8455"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}