The Nefertiti lift, a botulinum toxin technique widely promoted for a sharper jawline, improved neck bands but did not measurably change jawline or jowl contour in a split-face study published in The Laryngoscope.
The technique places small doses of onabotulinumtoxinA along the jawline and in the platysma, the thin sheet of neck muscle that pulls the lower face downward. The idea is that relaxing this downward pull lets the jawline sit more crisply.
What the study did
Researchers at a single centre treated 20 women. One side of each face was randomized to treatment; the other served as an untreated control. Two evaluators assessed the results.
What it found
- Platysmal banding improved on the treated side (p=0.031 and p=0.005 for the two evaluators).
- Jowl and jawline contour showed no significant difference between sides.
- 53.3% of participants reported improvement, and 31.3% said they would repeat or recommend the treatment.
- Two participants (10%) developed a temporary asymmetric smile, corrected with a balancing injection.
Why it matters
The jawline is one of the most marketed toxin indications on social media. This study is a useful reality check: the measurable benefit was in the neck bands, which is consistent with the platysma being the target muscle. Platysma band treatment is an approved BOTOX Cosmetic indication in the US, but a jawline “lift” is not.
The asymmetric smile seen in one in ten participants reflects how close the injection points are to the muscles that control the lower lip.
Limitations
With 20 participants at one centre, the study may have been too small to detect a modest jawline change. Split-face designs can also blur effects if toxin spreads across the midline. Dose, follow-up length and funding should be checked in the full paper.
Key takeaways
- The Nefertiti lift improved platysmal bands in a 20-woman split-face study.
- No significant change in jawline or jowl contour was found.
- One in ten had a temporary asymmetric smile.
Original source: Efficacy of the Nefertiti Lift for Jawline Contour: A Split-Face Study. The Laryngoscope, epub 2 Nov 2026. doi:10.1002/lary.71033.
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