We often find that patients are confused about the difference between Botox (and other neurotoxins) verses dermal fillers. They often think they are the same thing. This blog post will explain the difference between the procedures.
How Does Botox Work?:
Works by blocking nerve signals to the muscles where it is injected. When those nerve signals are interrupted, the muscle is temporarily paralyzed or frozen. Without the movement of these selected muscles in the face, certain wrinkles may be softened, reduced or even removed.
Botox works for expression lines.
- 11s between the brows
- Horizontal lines on the forehead
- Crows feet around the eyes
- Bunny lines
- and many others
Ask your Lazaderm provider what other things Botox can be used for!
Dermal Fillers
Injected beneath the surface of the skin to add volume and fullness and correct cosmetic issues from aging. Some dermal fillers consist of hyaluronic acid, which is a naturally occurring substance in your body. Other dermal fillers are made from products that are called biostimulators. Biostimulators “stimulate” the body to produce it’s own natural collagen. Biostimulators tend to last longer than hyaluronic dermal fillers.
Fillers can be used to:
- Plump up thinning lips
- Enhance or fill in shallow areas of the face such as the cheeks and temples
- Decrease or remove the shadow or wrinkle under the eyes caused by the lower eyelid
- Fill in or soften the look of recessed scars
- Fill in or soften static wrinkles, especially on the lower face
Static wrinkles include those around the mouth and along the cheeks. These wrinkles are usually a result of a loss of collagen and elasticity in the skin. One primary issue with aging is a loss of volume associated with aging.
Summary:
Botox: Freezes muscles to stop creases and wrinkles caused by facial expressions. These are typically found in the upper face, such as the forehead and around the eyes.
Dermal fillers: Use hyaluronic acid and similar substances to “fill in” or plump areas that have lost volume and smoothness. This includes wrinkles around the mouth, thin lips, and cheeks that have lost fullness. They may also be used on forehead wrinkles, scars, and other areas that need extra volume for a smoother look.