Botox and neuromodulators in Salinas and Carmel

How it works

Neuromodulators temporarily reduce activity in selected muscles, helping soften lines caused by repeated facial movement. The treated muscles will move less. Our goal is to balance smoother lines with natural-looking expression, using a plan tailored to your face and preferences.

The amount of movement that remains depends on the area treated, dose, anatomy, and individual response. A lighter treatment may leave more movement, but it may also provide less smoothing or a shorter-lasting effect. We talk that tradeoff through before anything is injected.

• Forehead lines, frown lines between the brows, and crow's feet
• Subtle brow lift, lip flip, softening of a gummy smile, and jaw slimming for clenching
• Results usually begin within several days and settle by about two weeks; most people see around three to four months of effect, with individual variation
• Depending on the areas treated, treatment takes about 15 to 30 minutes, then back to your day. A two-week follow-up assessment is included, and a small adjustment within your plan is complimentary

Where we treat, and what each one does

The classic three are only the beginning. Small, precise doses in the right muscle can change how a face rests, smiles, and ages. Not every face needs every area; at your visit we'll map what will actually help.

• Forehead linesSoftens the horizontal lines from raising your brows, while keeping enough lift that your eyes stay open and awake.
• Frown lines, the "elevens"Relaxes the muscles between the brows that make you look worried or tired when you aren't.
• Crow's feetSoftens the lines that fan from the outer corners of the eyes when you smile. The aim is softer lines with a smile that still looks like yours.
• Brow liftA few units placed under the tail of the brow let the lifting muscles win, opening the eyes a millimeter or two.
• Bunny linesThe diagonal creases on the sides of the nose when you scrunch, often noticed after treating the elevens.
• Nose tip liftRelaxing the small muscle that pulls the tip down when you smile, so the tip sits slightly higher and the smile reads lighter.
• Lip flipTiny doses along the upper lip roll the border outward for a fuller-looking lip without filler; subtle, and popular before events.
• Gummy smileLowers how far the upper lip lifts when you smile, showing less gum and more lip.
• Downturned corners, the "resting face" fixRelaxes the muscles that pull the mouth corners down, so a neutral face reads content instead of stern. Yes, this is the RBF treatment.
• Pebble chinCalms the chin muscle that dimples and creases when you speak or purse your lips, for a smoother, softer chin.
• Facial slimmingTreating the masseter muscles at the jaw can narrow a square lower face over a few months and may ease clenching and grinding.
• Nose slimming and nasal flareSmall doses relax the muscles that flare the nostrils or pull the nose wide when you smile, for a narrower, calmer nose.
• Neck slimming, the "trap tox"Relaxing the upper trapezius muscles softens the slope between neck and shoulder, lengthens the neckline, and can ease tension.
• Nefertiti neck liftRelaxing the vertical neck bands and the muscle that pulls the jawline down sharpens the jaw and smooths the neck, named for the profile it echoes.
• Neck bandsSoftens the cords that stand out when you tense or speak, on their own or as part of the Nefertiti lift.
• Excessive sweatingCalms the nerve signal to the sweat glands. Underarm treatment is FDA-approved; palms and hairline are off-label. Relief often lasts around six months, and it changes summers.

Several of these areas are off-label uses of FDA-approved products, which is routine in aesthetic medicine; we'll tell you which is which and what to expect from each.

Not cookie-cutter Botox

Botox is what most patients ask for by name, and it is not the only neuromodulator we use. Rather than a standard number of units, treatment is tailored to your goals and your previous response: which areas bothered you, how much movement you want to keep, how long past results lasted, and anything you didn't like. If a different formulation, dose, or placement is a better fit, we'll explain why at your visit and dose for the result you want.

Baby Botox and MesoTox

Baby Botox uses smaller doses across the same areas for a softer effect and more movement. It suits people who are starting early, who want prevention more than correction, or who work in front of a camera. MesoTox places tiny droplets of neuromodulator superficially across the skin rather than into the muscle, which can refine the look of pores, reduce oil and redness, and give the skin a smoother finish, especially paired with microneedling.

Botox with a VI Peel at the same visit

If sun damage, dark marks, or rough texture bother you as much as your lines, a VI Peel can be done at the same appointment as your Botox: the peel first, the injections right after, one week of peeling, and both results by two weeks. VI calls the pairing the ToxBooster™ treatment, and a published same-day study found it safe and well tolerated across skin tones.

Botox for men

More men come in every year, and for the same reasons women do: to look younger and more rested, whether for a camera-heavy job in tech or simply the mirror. Men's faces carry heavier brow muscles and different proportions, so dosing and placement differ, and results are subtle by design. MesoTox is also used to reduce the appearance of flushing and redness. If you've heard it called Brotox, that's what this is. More on men's care at Mona Medical.

Medical Botox

Neuromodulators have a long history in medicine, and several medical uses are treated here. These visits begin with a medical consultation and follow a plan specific to the condition; they are assessed and dosed differently from cosmetic treatment.

• Chronic migraine: BOTOX is FDA-approved to help prevent headaches in adults with chronic migraine (15 or more headache days a month). Treatment follows a specific head-and-neck protocol after a medical evaluation, and it is different from cosmetic injections for forehead or frown lines.
• Excessive sweating: FDA-approved for severe underarm sweating that antiperspirants haven't controlled. Palms and hairline are off-label uses, considered after evaluation.
• Jaw clenching and TMJ-related tension: relaxing the masseter muscles can ease clenching and grinding and slims the lower face. This is an off-label use with its own counseling and expectations.
• Neck and shoulder tension: treating the upper trapezius can ease muscle tension and softens the neckline. Off-label, and discussed at a medical consultation.

Using FSA or HSA funds for medical Botox. Botox used to treat a qualifying medical condition may be eligible for payment or reimbursement with FSA or HSA funds. Cosmetic wrinkle treatment generally does not qualify. Eligibility depends on the purpose of treatment and applicable rules; your plan may require an itemized receipt or medical-necessity documentation.

Request a medical consultation

Before and after your appointment

A little planning makes bruising less likely and results more predictable. None of this is complicated, and we go over it again at your visit.

• Timing: results begin within several days and settle at about two weeks, so book at least two to three weeks before an event you care about, and closer to four weeks if it is your first treatment, so the follow-up assessment falls before the day itself
• The week before: if your physician agrees, avoid aspirin, ibuprofen, fish oil, vitamin E, and other supplements that thin the blood for a few days; skip alcohol the night before. Never stop a prescribed medication on your own
• The day of: come with a clean face or we will cleanse it for you; there is no need to stop makeup or skincare beforehand
• Afterward: stay upright and avoid rubbing or pressing the treated areas for about four hours, skip strenuous exercise, saunas, and facials for the rest of the day, and hold off on massage or other facial treatments in the area for 24 hours
• Watch for: small bumps and pinpoint redness fade within an hour or so; a bruise can take a week. Call us with anything that worries you

What a first visit looks like

We talk before we treat: what bothers you, how you like to look in photographs, how much movement you want to keep, and how any previous treatment went. Then we map the muscles, agree on a plan and a price, and treat the same day if you're ready. Two weeks later we look together, assess how the result settled, and make any small adjustment within your plan.