Neurotoxins

Neurotoxins are injectable treatments that temporarily relax specific facial muscles. When a muscle contracts repeatedly over years — squinting into the San Diego sun, furrowing your brow at a screen, raising your eyebrows in conversation — the skin above it eventually holds a crease even at rest. By quieting that muscle activity in targeted areas, we soften the appearance of those dynamic lines and slow the process that deepens them.

The areas people most often ask about are the horizontal lines across the forehead, the vertical "elevens" between the brows, and the fine lines that fan out from the corners of the eyes. Because treatment is placed muscle by muscle, it is inherently customizable. Someone with a very expressive forehead may need a different plan than someone whose primary concern is a single stubborn frown line.

Our approach here is deliberately restrained. Sarah Garces, NP-C, is our Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner and facial balancing specialist, and her philosophy is to look at your whole face rather than treat an isolated line in isolation. The goal is not a frozen, unreadable expression. It's looking like a well-rested version of yourself — someone people notice looks good without being able to say exactly why.

Good candidates are generally adults who are bothered by expression lines and want a treatment with little downtime. Neurotoxins tend to appeal to a wide range of situations: the professional in La Jolla who spends a lot of time on video calls and doesn't love how the forehead reads on camera, the parent in Encinitas who wants to look less tired without a bigger commitment, and the patient preparing for a wedding, reunion, or milestone photo who is planning several months ahead.

We also see patients who come to us specifically because they're pursuing cosmetic dentistry. If you're considering porcelain veneers, clear aligners, or a full smile makeover, the frame around your smile matters. Our practice was founded on exactly this idea — Dr. Darian Anderson, our cosmetic dentist, and Sarah collaborate so that a smile design and a facial aesthetic plan are built in concert. Monica Kieu, D.O., FACS serves as our Medical Director. Rather than getting veneers at one office and neurotoxins at another, you can have both discussed in one room, in one coordinated plan.

The best way to find out whether this is right for you is a conversation. We offer a complimentary consultation, and it's genuinely a consultation — a chance to talk through your concerns, your history, any medications or health considerations, your timeline, and what a realistic result looks like for your face. If we don't think neurotoxins are the right tool for what's bothering you, we'll tell you that and talk about other options we offer, such as dermal fillers or microneedling.

Payment, Financing, and Getting Started

We are an out-of-network, fee-for-service studio and do not take insurance. We welcome self-pay and cash patients, and we quote clearly so you know what you're committing to before anything begins.

For patients who'd rather spread payments out — especially when combining aesthetic treatment with cosmetic dentistry — we offer financing through Cherry.

We'd love to meet you. If you're in Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, La Jolla, or anywhere across San Diego, reach out to schedule your complimentary consultation and let's talk about what would make the biggest difference for your face.