Both are effective anti-aging treatments, but the lines are often blurred between these two products and which one works best for treating specific issues. In today's blog we offer answers on whether you should be using botox, fillers, or both for your specific goals in your anti-aging routine.
The main thing to keep in mind about the difference between fillers and botox is the overall purpose that each product serves. Botox is generally the preferred method of preventing signs of aging before they start, and smoothing lines before they become permanently etched in your skin. Fillers, however, are intended to smooth those lines if and when they do become permanent, and providing you with a less invasive solution to reshaping areas of the face. We have singled out the most common concerns we hear from our patients and describe what works best to treat them.
Lip, Chin, & Cheek Enhancement
Fillers. Dermal fillers will effectively plump lips and reshape cheeks and the chin to provide a more defined bone structure. Botox will not effectively reshape any of these areas.
Frown lines
Botox. Within 4-7 days of injection, botulinum toxin works to paralyze the muscles that make you frown. Once the muscles are unable to contract, you will notice a reduction in frown line problem areas such as your glabella.
Fine Lines & Wrinkles
Both. Botox is generally regarded as preventative because it helps freeze the muscles controlling certain facial expressions that may lead to wrinkles. However, fillers can step in for areas where the wrinkles have already formed, plumping skin and smoothing out lines.
Brow Shaping & Non-Surgical Face Lifting
Both. Fillers can effectively reshape the skin around the eyebrow by filling in hollow areas. Botox can be an effective way to manipulate the intricate pattern of facial muscles that raise your eyebrows, giving you a non-surgical alternative to a face lift.
Crow's Feet
Botox. Similar to your frown lines, botox will freeze the muscles near the corners of your eyes to prevent lines from being permanently etched in the skin.
Hyperhidrosis
Botox. Hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating, is an uncomfortable and embarrassing condition for some patients which can be alleviated through botox injections. Botox works by blocking a neurotransmitter that stimulates the sweat glands, essentially paralyzing them and safely preventing perspiration.
Eyebrow Lift
Botox. By strategically injecting specific muscles in the forehead, the unparalyzed muscles around them will naturally lift, giving your face a non-surgical alternative to the pain and downtime of a surgical lift.
Marionette Lines
Fillers. Marionette lines are the lines leading from the corners of the mouth down to your chin, and can also refer to nasolabial folds that form above the mouth. While botox may be effective at paralyzing the muscles that create deep frown and smile lines, fillers are the ultimate solution to reducing the appearance of marionette lines.
Scars
Fillers. For patients who have suffered from severe acne, often the appearance of box car scars and ice pick scars can diminish their confidence despite their acne clearing up. Fillers can help minimize the appearance of such scars for up to a year, allowing acne patients to enjoy their clear complexion.
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