A treatment room at J'adoreAESTHETIC MEDICINE
Does a wide smile reveal a broad band of gum above your teeth? This is called a gummy smile — a feature many people would like to gently soften.
A very common cause is an overactive muscle that lifts the upper lip: it pulls the lip up too strongly. This is where botulinum toxin helps — a small, precise dose relaxes that one muscle, so the lip lifts a little less. This is a medical treatment, not a cosmetic one — and we treat it that way. Below you'll find everything worth knowing before your first visit — including when Botox isn't the right method.
1 session + follow-up after ~2 weeks
How it works
A "gummy smile" is excessive gum exposure when smiling. A very common cause is an overactive muscle that lifts the upper lip — when smiling, it pulls the lip up too strongly, exposing a band of gum above the teeth. The correction mechanism is simple: a small, precise dose of botulinum toxin relaxes this muscle, so the lip lifts a little less.
The toxin works only locally and reversibly — it doesn't change facial structure, only temporarily "turns down" the strength of one specific muscle. This is one of the quickest and most targeted treatments using botulinum toxin. The most important myth to dispel: "if it's Botox, more must be better". Quite the opposite — around the mouth, a small dose and precision are key.
Ideal for
Whether Botox is the right method is decided during consultation — after assessing exactly where the gum exposure comes from. If the cause lies in the gums or the bite, the doctor will say so honestly and point you towards a different route.
Female zone and male zone
This is the most common variant of this treatment. The goal is aesthetic and subtle: a smile line that shows less gum, while fully preserving the natural, genuine quality of the expression. This is the classic gummy smile in women.
The areas we support
Gummy smile in men is treated less often, but with the identical method and the same mechanism. Men usually expect a maximally discreet result — correction of the smile line without any visible "change".
The areas we support
Interesting fact: this is the same preparation used to smooth the forehead or "frown lines" — only the dose and injection point differ. For a gummy smile, we're talking about truly minimal amounts compared to wrinkle treatments. That's why the result depends not on "how much", but on where and how precisely.
AESTHETIC MEDICINE
Safety
The mouth area is functionally important (speech, eating, expression), and the treatment relies on a small dose at a very precise point. That's why the result and safety depend on three things worth asking about at any salon:
Botulinum toxin is a medicinal product — at J'adore it's administered exclusively by an aesthetic medicine doctor, not a cosmetologist. This isn't a cosmetology treatment: it requires precise knowledge of the anatomy of the muscles around the mouth.
We work exclusively with registered, certified toxins from authorised distributors, stored according to manufacturer requirements (cold chain). A poorly stored toxin, or one of unknown origin, means an unpredictable result and real risk.
Too large an amount, or a slightly misplaced injection, can temporarily affect smile symmetry. That's why the doctor selects the dose and points individually, and we assess the result at the follow-up.
Red flag: suspiciously cheap Botox for a gummy smile · A bargain price is the most common warning sign — with a medicinal product, origin and storage matter just as much as technique. In such a precise treatment, the hand's experience also matters, not just the preparation itself. You have the right to ask about the toxin's name, its expiry date, and who performs the treatment. A good salon will answer without hesitation.
Contraindications
Some contraindications are permanent, others temporary — in the latter case, we simply postpone the treatment until the situation resolves.
From the doctor's office
The most commonly forgotten issue: cold sores. Patients think "I only have one on my lip, and that's nearby" — but an active virus is a risk regardless of where it appears. For a treatment around the mouth, this matters especially. It's better to postpone by a few days.
This isn't a complete list — we'll go through your medications, medical history and previous treatments individually during consultation. Final qualification is always decided by the doctor.
What to expect
Most importantly: you won't see the result straight away. The muscle relaxes gradually — you'll usually notice the first changes in the smile line after a few days, with the full result building up around the second week.
Some patients write after two days saying "nothing's changed". That's completely normal — the toxin needs time to fully relax the muscle. And since the dose is deliberately small, we only assess the result at the ~2-week follow-up, not before.
An important difference from classic wrinkle-relaxing Botox: around the mouth, the effect usually lasts shorter — roughly a few months (about 3–5), because the muscles around the mouth are very active (speaking, eating, expression). After this time, the treatment is repeated, and the smile returns to its starting point.
Portfolio
A record of the work in our salons — the place where we publish treatment frames and, after photo sessions, results.
A record of results — in preparation. We publish photographs of our clients only with their consent.
Gummy smile and your lifestyle
The most common questions aren't about the treatment itself, but what comes after. There's one rule — for the first few hours and days, we don't want the toxin to "migrate" beyond the precisely chosen point, or bruising to appear.
For the first few hours, avoid tilting your head down or lying flat — this helps the preparation stay exactly where it was administered.
Right after the treatment, don't massage or press the injection area. This is especially important here, since the dose is small and precisely placed.
Training before the treatment doesn't block anything. Postpone intense exercise after the treatment for around 24 hours — increased circulation encourages bruising.
High temperatures dilate blood vessels and increase swelling. Hold off on sauna, hammam and hot baths for the first 24–48 hours.
Alcohol dilates blood vessels and increases the risk of bruising — best to skip it on the day of the treatment.
You return to your daily activities right away. Makeup — usually from the next day, on gently disinfected skin.
No special preparation is needed before the treatment — it's worth informing the doctor about any medications you take (especially blood thinners) and any tendency towards cold sores.
Gummy smile treatment
Price list
Gummy smile treatment
upper lip Botox — small, precise dose
Choose the area and the salon — book online straight away.
Warsaw, Żelazna 59
Prefer to call? Żelazna 573 569 431 · Mińska 732 228 806 · Karmelicka 732 228 846
See also
AESTHETIC MEDICINEBotox — expression linesSee treatment: Botox — expression lines
AESTHETIC MEDICINELip contouringSee treatment: Lip contouring
AESTHETIC MEDICINEHA fillers — wrinkles and foldsSee treatment: HA fillers — wrinkles and folds
AESTHETIC MEDICINEBruxism treatmentSee treatment: Bruxism treatment
AESTHETIC MEDICINEMedical consultation / dermatologySee treatment: Medical consultation / dermatology
AESTHETIC MEDICINEBiostimulators / skin boostersSee treatment: Biostimulators / skin boostersThe result lastsapprox. 3–5 months (shorter than wrinkle-relaxing Botox)J’adore Instytut
Medical information. Botulinum toxin type A is a medicinal product; the treatment is medical in nature and is performed exclusively by a doctor. The text above is for informational purposes only and does not constitute advertising of a medicinal product or medical advice. Indications, choice of preparation and dose, qualification and contraindications are determined by the doctor during an individual consultation.