Can Both The Anterior and Posterior Temporal Muscles Be Reduced?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have setup a virtual consultation for temporal reduction. I should note that I think both the anterior AND posterior portions have too much convexity for me. It starts to bulge just a couple millimeters before my hairline begins. When I look at my face in the mirror, the anterior portion is what stands out the most; in fact, if I open my mouth as far as possible, the bulge/muscle seems to migrate down the side of eyes, creating a fairly flat side. I can show you when we chat. I think removing portions of the temporal muscle from both the anterior and posterior would be ideal for me — though I’m not sure if this is regular part of the procedure or not. 

A: Thank you for providing that information. All temporal muscle regions look smaller/flatter when the mouth is opened because the muscle is elongated as the lower jaw pulls it downward as it opens. While the posterior temporal muscle can undergo a dramatic reduction due to surgical access, the anterior temporal muscle can not be so significantly reduced as there is no direct access to it without undue scarring. Thus no surgical reduction efforts of the anterior temporal muscle can approximate the effect that opening one’s mouth does.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana