Confused About The Difference Between Botox and Fillers? Don’t Worry, You’re Not Alone!
Read below to learn more about
The difference Between Botox Cosmetic and Dermal Fillers
Why We Use Different Treatments For Different Areas
Which Treatments Are Best For Different Areas Of The Face
We’ve heard a lot of people ask recently about the difference between Botox Cosmetic and Juvederm, a popular dermal filler. Often times, this question arises whenever a new patient calls to inquire about treating a problem area with Botox, only to find out that Botox isn’t even used to treat that particular area of concern! Usually, these patients are told that the area they are looking to correct is actually treated with dermal fillers, such as Juvederm or Restylane.
Because of how often this question comes up, we’ve decided to finally set the record straight by explaining the difference between Botox and fillers. We hope this helps!
What’s The Difference Between Botox Cosmetic and Dermal Fillers?
The short answer is that Botox Cosmetic is used to relax skin that has become wrinkled, due to muscle tension, and ultimately smooth the appearance of these wrinkles.
Dermal fillers, such as Juvederm, on the other hand, are used to replace lost volume in the support structure found underneath our skin. Botox Cosmetic and dermal fillers, such as Juvederm, are often used in conjunction with each other to achieve optimal results.
Why Do We Use Different Drugs to Treat These Conditions?
Aside from their chemical make-up, the main difference between Botox and dermal fillers are the physical conditions they are used to treat. When we think of the typical signs of aging, we most often think of folds and wrinkles. While ‘folds and wrinkles’ often seem to go hand-in-hand, these physical imperfections are the result of two very different causes. Facial folds and creases are caused by a loss of the support structure underneath the skin, while wrinkles are the result of tension in the skin caused by years of facial movement, such as squinting. These conditions may be treated with either Botox Cosmetic or a dermal filler, or a combination of the two.
This brings us back to our original discussion of the difference between Botox Cosmetic and dermal fillers. When treating wrinkles, we use Botox Cosmetic, a neuromodulator, to block the muscle activity that leads to wrinkling of the skin. We aren’t replacing anything that has been lost, but instead are soothing the built up muscle tension that causes the appearance of wrinkles.
When treating folds and creases, we are actually replacing volume that has been lost under the skin. Many of the popular dermal fillers, such as Juvederm and Restylane, are made with Hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring compound found in the human body. When we use dermal fillers to treat folds and creases, we aren’t injecting anything foreign into the body, but are simply replacing the support structure that was once there.
What Areas Of The Face Are Treated With These Compounds?
Botox is commonly used to treat the wrinkles between the brow, and forehead, region of the face. Additionally, Botox is used to correct the wrinkles that often show up around the outer edges of the eyes (also known as Crow’s Feet.)
Dermal fillers, such as Voluma, are used to add support to the cheek area of the face. Moreover, Juvederm is commonly used to treat smile lines, or the folds that run from the nose to the area around the mouth.
Some dermal fillers may also be used to support a loss of volume in other areas of the face as well as the neck.
What Problem Areas Do Patients Mistakenly Associate With Botox Treatments?
The most common problem areas that people mistakenly seek Botox Cosmetic for are the areas around the mouth and the lips. Additionally, people often call us inquiring about using Botox Cosmetic to treat eye bags. These are all areas that experience folds and creases due to a loss of volume under the skin, and therefore may benefit best from the use of dermal fillers.
That’s It!
That’s really all there is to it – plain and simple. Before considering what treatment might be best for you, it is important to understand whether you are looking to reverse a wrinkle, fold or crease. The best way to determine this is to come in for a free consultation.
We look forward to hearing from you!