Have you ever heard of salivary gland hypertrophy?

 

If you’ve ever visited a dermatologist, you may have heard of salivary gland Botox.

 

In this post, we’ll take a look at what salivary gland hypertrophy is and how it can be treated.

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1. What is salivary gland hypertrophy?

The human salivary glands are divided into three types:

 

• Parotid gland (located near the ears)

• Submandibular gland (under the jaw)

• Sublingual gland (under the tongue)

 

Among these, the parotid gland is the most concerning from a cosmetic perspective.

The photo above shows a case of an enlarged parotid gland.

 

At first glance, it may look like weight gain, with the jawline becoming less defined, giving the appearance of a double chin.

 

The easiest way to self-check for salivary gland hypertrophy is to see if there's any pain when touching the area or if you can feel a firm lump.

 

The parotid area is most noticeable when lying on your back.

As shown in the photo, it’s not just sagging fat — a key feature is the presence of a lump-like swelling around the ear area.

 

Next, let’s talk about enlargement of the submandibular gland.

 

This area is harder to distinguish than the parotid gland and is often mistaken for a double chin because it overlaps with that area visually.

 

As a result, it becomes more noticeable when lying down or tilting the head back.

 

However, since the submandibular gland is naturally smaller than the parotid gland, it’s difficult to detect unless it has become significantly enlarged.

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2. Causes of Salivary Gland Hypertrophy

 

So, why does the parotid gland become enlarged?

 

上の写真は病的な原因による肥大の例です。

The most common cause is infection.

 

Enlargement can occur due to bacterial or viral infections, and the key way to differentiate it is whether or not there is pain.

 

If the cause is an infection, there is usually noticeable pain, which actually makes it easier to detect.

 

However, in cases involving autoimmune diseases (such as Sjögren's syndrome) or tumors (such as cancer), there are often no symptoms, so identifying the cause requires blood tests and imaging studies like a CT scan.

 

When the cause is not pathological, the most common reason for salivary gland hypertrophy is usually dietary habits.

Spicy, salty, sweet, and greasy foods stimulate salivary secretion more strongly than milder foods.

 

As a result, the salivary glands become more active in order to produce more saliva for functional reasons, leading to their enlargement.

Recently, foods like málàtàng (spicy hot pot) and tánghúlu (candied fruit skewers) have become popular. These types of foods strongly stimulate the salivary glands — sometimes even just by looking at them — which has led to an increase in cases of salivary gland hypertrophy.

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3. Treatment of Salivary Gland Hypertrophy

 

Since the causes are mostly infection-related or functional in nature:

 

If it's due to infection, recovery is often possible simply by taking anti-inflammatory medications or antibiotics.

 

If it's caused by poor dietary habits, improving your eating patterns can, in most cases, lead to a natural reduction in gland size over time.

 

However, for cosmetic reasons — such as appearing overweight or losing the definition of the jawline — many people consider treatment.

 

The most recommended option is, without a doubt, Botox.

Salivary gland Botox is affordable, offers quick results, and is considered a safe treatment option.

 

However, Botox alone cannot resolve all cases of gland enlargement.

 

If the cause is a tumor, lymphoma, or if the condition does not improve with treatments like Botox, surgical intervention may need to be considered.

You might worry, “If a salivary gland is removed, will I stop producing saliva?”

 

However, as mentioned above, the human body has three types of salivary glands, and even if one stops functioning, the others will compensate by producing more saliva.

 

So, even if a gland is surgically removed, there is no major cause for concern.

 

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4. Side Effects of Salivary Gland Botox

Botox is one of the most commonly used treatment methods, and while serious side effects are rare, there are a few precautions to keep in mind.

 

The areas around the parotid and submandibular glands are densely packed with nerves and blood vessels.

 

Therefore, if the anatomical structure is not well understood during the injection, it can lead to significant bleeding or nerve damage, potentially causing bruising or reduced facial sensation.

(Facial nerve innervation area)

 

Additionally, if the injection depth is incorrect and Botox is administered to the wrong area, it may cause paralysis in the masseter muscle or the muscles around the mouth.

 

We hope this article has been helpful to many of you.

 

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a like or comment — we’ll be happy to respond kindly and thoroughly.

Thank you.

 

📍 Primi Clinic
3rd Floor, 52 Seongsuil-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Primi Clinic)