Traptox Review 2024: I Tried the Viral Treatment for Slimming Shoulders and Reducing Muscle Tension

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The first time I saw a before and after pic of a traptox treatment, I immediately ran to the mirror to assess my shoulders. (For the uninitiated, traptox involves injecting a neurotoxin like Botox, Daxxify, Jeuveau, or Xeomin into your trapezius muscle to help relieve tension and possibly elongate your neck and slim your shoulders.) Over the next few weeks, I continued feeling hyper-aware and self-conscious about my shoulders as I saw an influx of traptox content on my Instagram feed. Even Kim Kardashian admitted on an episode of The Kardashians that she’s gotten Botox in her neck after getting called out for photoshopping her traps in an IG pic.

And while I am aware that worrying about how skinny my traps look is completely a made-up insecurity that I only happened upon after a whole lotta doom-scrolling, I am also a beauty editor whose ears perk up at any talk of injectables. So after considering traptox, I made my way to plastic surgeon Norman Rowe, MD, for a consultation and eventual treatment. Now that it’s been a few weeks since getting traptox, I’m ready to share my thought. But first, let me (as well as Dr. Rowe and board-certified dermatologist Karan Lal, MD) explain what traptox does, how it works, and what it costs.

preview for I Broke These Rules Getting Botox For The First Time!

What is traptox used for?

Historically, traptox has been used off-label (meaning it’s not FDA-approved for this specific use) to help relieve pain and tension in your neck and shoulders. Basically, it’s a catchy, made-up term to describe injecting a neurotoxin like Botox into your trapezius muscle. Dr. Rowe said a majority of his patients come in with this concern and really enjoy the pain-relieving benefits they get from traptox.

However, it also has a cosmetic benefit as of late, in that it can help make your neck look longer and your shoulders look slimmer too. This is why it’s often referred to as “Barbie botox,” since it can diminish the size of your shoulders for a smoother appearance, similar to that of a Barbie doll.

Does traptox really work?

Yes, for some people traptox can help reduce neck and shoulder tension and have a slimming effect on your shoulders. Here’s how it works: The trapezius is a big muscle, so when you inject neurotoxin into it to relax and freeze it, you both reduce the likelihood of it tensing up, which essentially can lessen the height of the muscle itself, explains Dr. Lal.

FWIW, Dr. Rowe says most of his patients who receive traptox generally enjoy their results, especially with how well it helps soothe their achy neck and shoulders. And Dr. Lal says that for some of his patients who experience upper back, shoulder, and neck pain or consistent tension headaches, they can have good experiences with traptox (although, he generally recommends them to a neurologist for this, FYI).

But traptox isn’t for everyone, says Dr. Lal. When you inject neurotoxin into your trapezius, those muscles relax, which requires other muscles around it to work a lil bit harder to compensate and tighten up, Dr. Lal explains. “The other parts of the muscle get tighter, which can cause neck and back pain that lasts up to three months, or the duration of the toxin,” he says.

“It’s not something that I recommend for my patients who are active,” Dr. Lal adds. Because the more you move those muscles, the more potential pain you could experience as all the muscles around it have to work harder to make up for the relaxed one. (More on this below, as I experienced this, unfortunately.)

What does traptox feel like?

In my experience, traptox is generally pretty painless. The Botox needles are so teeny-tiny that I barely felt anything when I got injected. I had four injections on each side (10 units a piece), and each felt like a tiny lil prick for a few seconds. But the whole procedure was over in less than five minutes. Quick and easy as far as non-invasive beauty treatments go.

How long does it take to see results from traptox?

It can take anywhere from a week to four weeks to see results from traptox, says Dr. Rowe. Typically, you’ll start to notice the effects of Botox in five to seven days, but because so many units are required with Traptox, it can take much longer. I started noticing that my muscles were “frozen” just over a week later, and I could see a slight slimming effect two weeks post-treatment.

What are the cons of traptox?

The biggest con of traptox could be that you don’t get the desired look you’re going for. You have to make sure you’re working with a skilled injector (ideally, a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon, suggests Dr. Lal). “If you’re using a very superficial needle, you’re not getting into the muscle; you’re injecting the neurotoxin into the fat,” says Dr. Lal. “And guess what that does? Nothing.”

Other cons? Well, traptox only lasts about three to four months, so you’ll need to re-up if you do end up liking your results, which can get costly over time. You may also experience a few negative side effects immediately upon injection, including a little bleeding, and then potential swelling, blotchiness, and tenderness for a day or two afterward.

How much does traptox cost?

The cost of traptox varies depending on your location, your provider, how many units you need, the type of neurotoxins used, and more. But generally, you can expect to pay anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 for a single treatment. It’s a lot more expensive than just getting a few units of Botox to smooth your forehead wrinkles, says Dr. Lal. “These types of treatments are extremely expensive because they require a lot of units—usually anywhere from 40 to 60 units per shoulder.”

My traptox results:

If I’m being totally honest, I didn’t have a super great experience with traptox. I noticed an ever-so-slight elongation of my neck (see below for my before and after pics), which very minimally has slimmed my shoulders a bit. I also do think that my posture has improved a bit, considering I spend 70 percent of my day slouched over a laptop. But I mostly just haven’t loved how my neck and shoulders have felt since the injections.

before traptox

after traptox

A week and a half after my appointment, I went to a hot yoga class and felt like doing normal postures like child’s pose and chair pose were more difficult. Lifting my arms above my shoulders felt so strained, almost like I suddenly developed T-rex arms or something. When I went back to Dr. Rowe’s office for my two-week follow-up, I chatted with Brooke Griggs, board-certified physician’s assistant at Rowe Plastic Surgery, about my experience, and she confirmed that it’s fairly normal, unfortunately. When you weaken the trapezius muscle, you don’t have as much range of motion in the injection site, which explains why my arms just generally feel a bit less usable since my traptox.

How to get similar results without injections:

Since traptox didn’t quite work as planned for me, I sought out some other options sans injectables to help with my shoulder and neck pain. Massage guns like the TheraGun mini (or my fave, the TheraFace, which has a massage function that works beautifully on my neck and shoulders) help work out knots and tension in my neck and shoulders. I’ll just press it against the area for 30 seconds in the morning, and it immediately helps with any pain from sleeping wonky the night before. I also swear by foam rollers and rubbing my neck against a yoga block to help release some tightness. And I always bring my go-to pain relief balm from Cymbiotika to any massage appointment, which really helps soothe any aches.

However, when it comes to making your shoulders look thinner, sadly, there’s no over-the-counter cure-all besides weight loss. And unfortunately, there’s no special workouts you can do to lose weight in your shoulders (or any part of your body for that matter; weight loss occurs all over). Personally, I’m just trying to get that made-up insecurity out of my mind and focus on how much more I enjoy actually using my shoulders than I do having a slightly elongated neck. But that’s just me!

Final verdict:

Traptox can potentially help smooth your shoulders and make your neck appear longer temporarily, as well as reduce muscle tension and improve posture. But it also can have an adverse effect for some people (like me), causing unwanted shoulder and neck pain. Plus, depending on how thick your skin is or how much body fat you have on your neck and shoulders, your results might not be very noticeable. Which is why it’s important to fully discuss your treatment goals with your provider beforehand before spending $$$ on a treatment that might not work for you.


Meet the experts:

  • Norman Rowe, MD, is a board-certified plastic surgeon with his own practice in New York, NY and Montclair, New Jersey. He specializes in breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, revision procedures, and injectables.
  • Karan Lal, MD, is a double board-certified adult, pediatric, and cosmetic dermatologist at Affiliated Dermatology in Scottsdale, AZ. You can also catch Dr. Lal responding to viral beauty trends and myths on Cosmo‘s TikTok.

Why trust Cosmopolitan?

Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with five years of experience researching, writing, and editing skincare stories that range from the best neck-firming creams to retinols for sensitive skin. She’s an authority in all skincare categories, but is an expert when it comes to cosmetic procedures like TrapTox, both from researching and interviewing dermatologists and from trying them herself whenever possible.

Headshot of Beth Gillette

Beth Gillette

Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you “have to try.” Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair ‘do every few months. 

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