The temporalis — the fan-shaped muscle at your temple — is the partner muscle to the masseter. When clenching becomes a daily habit, the temporalis carries half the strain. Templetox quiets it, easing tension headaches at the temples and softening the bulge that can appear above the cheekbone.
The temporalis often gets missed — clenching and grinding focus on the jaw, but the temple muscle is contracting just as hard, feeding tension upward.
Headaches that start at the temples or radiate to them — often described as “pressure” or a band squeezing the head.
Press the side of your head above the cheekbone — does it feel tight, sore, or knotted? That's the temporalis carrying tension.
Clench your teeth and feel above the cheekbone — if a noticeable bulge appears, your temporalis is hypertrophied from overuse.
You treated the masseter and felt great relief — but residual tension or headaches persist. The temporalis is often the remaining factor.
A general sense of pressure or fullness in the upper third of the face — often noticed by the end of a stressful workday.
Prominent temporalis can pull the upper face wider — adding bulk to the area between the cheekbone and the hairline.
Most TMJ and clenching conversations focus on the masseter. But chewing involves two large muscles: the masseter along the jaw, and the temporalis at the temple. Treating only one leaves half the problem in place.
Botulinum toxin temporarily blocks the chemical signal that tells the temporalis to contract. The muscle still moves — chewing, talking, and expression are unaffected — but it can no longer generate the constant low-grade clenching force that feeds temple-area tension and headaches.
Within one to two weeks, most clients report the temple area finally feels “light” rather than “pressed.” The tension headaches that climbed from the temples ease. With repeat treatments, the muscle gradually reduces in bulk — which softens the bulge that can appear above the cheekbone in clients with strong temporalis hypertrophy.
Treatment is precise: multiple small injections placed across the fan-shaped muscle on each side, dosed conservatively to preserve full chewing strength. We map by palpation and ask you to clench so we can identify the peak-contraction zones.
Products we use: Xeomin (incobotulinumtoxinA) and Jeuveau (prabotulinumtoxinA) — both FDA-approved botulinum toxin type A neuromodulators in the same therapeutic family as Botox.
Quick consult, palpation-mapping with a clench test, and a series of small injections per side. Walk out the same day.
Most clients begin to notice less temple tension, less “pressed” sensation in the upper face, and softer headaches.
Peak functional effect. Temple-area headaches significantly reduced. Clients often comment on how much “lighter” the upper face feels.
For clients with visible temporalis bulk, the bulge above the cheekbone gently softens. Upper-face profile reads as more refined.
Templetox is most often booked for relief — and clients stay because the upper-face refinement happens quietly alongside.
Templetox is botulinum toxin (Xeomin or Jeuveau) placed into the temporalis — the fan-shaped muscle at the temple. The temporalis is one of the two main chewing muscles (the masseter is the other) and is frequently overactive in people who clench, grind, or have TMJ dysfunction.
Templetox reduces temple-area tension, eases tension headaches that radiate from the temples, and softens prominent temple-muscle bulk.
Jawtox treats the masseter — the muscle along the jaw line. Templetox treats the temporalis — at the temples. Both contribute to clenching, grinding, and TMJ dysfunction, and the two are often treated together for a more complete result.
If you've had Jawtox and still get tension headaches at the temples, Templetox is often the missing piece. See the TMJ / Jawtox guide →
Often, yes. Tension headaches that start at or radiate to the temples are commonly driven by overactivity of the temporalis muscle.
Relaxing the muscle with botulinum toxin reduces the constant low-grade contraction that feeds the headache pattern. Most clients report a reduction in frequency and intensity within 1 to 2 weeks of treatment.
For most clients the visual effect is subtle. If you have a prominent temporalis bulge — visible when you clench — Templetox can soften that bulge over 6 to 8 weeks, refining upper-face balance and creating a more graceful contour from cheekbone to brow.
Conservative dosing avoids any change to expression or brow position.
Effects typically last 3 to 4 months. Like Jawtox, repeat treatments often allow lower doses over time as the temporalis gradually reduces in bulk.
Typical doses are 10–20 units per side. The temporalis is broad and fan-shaped, so the dose is distributed across multiple precise injection points to cover the muscle.
Full quotes provided at consultation once we assess the muscle by palpation and clenching.
Injections feel like quick pinches — most clients tolerate the temple area very well. Total appointment time is 15 to 30 minutes including consultation and mapping.
If you're combining Templetox with Jawtox, both can be done in the same visit — which is the most common protocol for comprehensive TMJ care.
When dosed appropriately by a trained injector, Templetox preserves normal chewing function. The treatment reduces the constant low-grade contraction that contributes to tension and headaches, but you retain full strength for everyday eating.
Aggressive overdosing can affect chewing strength, which is why precision and conservative dosing matter.
We use Xeomin (incobotulinumtoxinA) and Jeuveau (prabotulinumtoxinA) — both FDA-approved botulinum toxin type A neuromodulators in the same family as Botox. For the temporalis the mechanism and results are clinically equivalent.
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