What is the Difference Between
BOTOX® Cosmetic and Fabulous Fillers?
Every day, we are bombarded by ads tempting us to try something new to fight the signs of aging: Want to look younger? Take 10 years off with our at home like-a-laser treatment! Turn back the clock and boost collagen with our new dream come true foundation, only $7.99!
Tempting us with images and empty promises, these advertisements often raise hope, only for hope to fade into disappointment.
Why is it that aging tends to start with little changes (gradual changes, changes that we feel comfortable with), and then one day we wake up and wonder, “Where in the world did that line come from? Did it happen overnight?”
Aging is so much more than skin deep; changes in appearance, and perhaps the way we feel about our appearance, may come hand in hand with hard-earned wisdom. With the passage of time, not only are there changes in the structure, elasticity, and look of the skin, but there are also changes related to repetition of facial movements (SEE PREVIOUS BOTOX® COSMETIC BLOG) and facial volume loss. Think of a pillow case: When a pillow is pulled from its case, the case loses its shape. When facial volume is lost, the canvas of our face (our skin) loses its support. Volume is lost not only from facial fat compartments and subtle muscular changes, but also from changes in the skeletal structure of the face and changes in our skin’s ability to retain water. In addition to volume loss, the lovely downward pull from gravity also plays a role in visible anatomy changes. In a nut shell, repetition of muscle movement, along with the combination of gradual changes due to volume loss and gravity are responsible for slowly and quietly creating “the line that showed up overnight.”
The majority of us want the same thing, and it is simple: To be able to look and feel our best and also look age appropriate but NOT “over-done.” While there is no such thing as a miracle cream, fortunately, there are many options when it comes to stepping into spring (YES, SPRING!) with your best face forward.
Due to high rates of satisfaction and little to no down time, aesthetic injectable treatments have been steadily growing in popularity over the past few years. Of the many injectables on the market, BOTOX® Cosmetic has been a leading workhorse of available products. Because of its widespread use and longevity on the market, BOTOX® Cosmetic is well known and is frequently thought of as a “cure all” when it comes to injectable procedures. As wonderful as BOTOX® Cosmetic is, it is not the treatment for every facial wrinkle or fold. There are numerous injectable products available on the market, but for now, let’s focus on the difference between BOTOX® Cosmetic and dermal fillers (although we highly recommend you also visit our Scuptra® Aesthetic Blog!):
What does BOTOX® Cosmetic do?
BOTOX® Cosmetic is used either to treat lines that occur due to repetition of muscle movement or to relax muscle movement in targeted areas to promote change. FDA approved to improve the appearance of expression lines between the brows, it is used off-label to soften expression lines around the eyes and forehead. It can also be used to promote lifting of the corners of the mouth or eye brows, soften “bunny lines” on the nose, lessen the appearance of a squared jaw, plus treat multiple areas of the lower face and even the neck. While BOTOX® Cosmetic has many uses, it does not help with volume loss.
What is filler, and how does it treat volume loss?
Here’s a quick overview on skin anatomy: The outermost layer of our skin is called the epidermis. Essentially, the epidermis acts as a protector. The dermis (the layer of skin located below the epidermis) provides support. The majority of wrinkles and folds take place within the dermis. HA (hyaluronic acid) is a naturally occurring substance within the skin that binds and absorbs water (think of HA as a friend- it creates facial volume by attracting water). As we age, HA slowly diminishes. When the amount of HA in the skin lessens, the skin loses some of its ability to retain water (water=volume) which contributes to the formation of wrinkles and folds.
HA Dermal Fillers are sugar-based substances that are FDA approved to treat wrinkles/folds (sometimes referred to as parentheses and marionette lines) around the mouth and nose. Unlike BOTOX® Cosmetic which treats expression lines by quieting muscle movement, HA dermal fillers (JUVEDERM® XC, Restylane®, and Perlane®) provide correction of lines by actually filling areas where volume loss has occurred. HA fillers are very versatile; because of their incredible ability to attract water (promote facial volume) to precise locations, in addition to treating expression lines or folds around the mouth and nose (and other areas of the face, as well), they are also used to enhance lips, enhance cheeks, and multiple other areas of the face.
Want to learn more? Call (763)231-8700 to set up a complimentary consultation with one of our highly trained cosmetic injection specialists. We look forward to meeting you!