What is the difference between botox and filler?
What is the difference between botox and filler?
As we get older, our face goes through several changes. The areas where we have a lot of muscle movement, such as the forehead and around the mouth, can start to form lines and wrinkles. Other areas, such as the cheeks, jaws and temples, can begin to lose volume. The combination of these processes can make us look aged. Thankfully, aesthetic procedures such as botox and dermal fillers can help to reduce these signs of ageing and help to achieve a more youthful appearance. However, many people confuse the two procedures or simply don't know much about either. This blog will shed some light on the differences between Botox and fillers.
What is Botox?
Botox is a type of injectable medication made from botulinum toxin. It is mainly used to treat lines and wrinkles on the forehead and around the eyes. It works by temporarily weakening certain muscles in the forehead which we use for expressions, such as the frown muscles, the muscles we use to raise our eyebrows and the muscles we use to squint. By weakening these muscles for a period of 3-4 months, this causes fine lines to lighten up and sometimes completely reverse.
A botox treatment is very quick and almost painless. It involves injecting small precise amounts of the botulinum toxin into certain muscles of the forehead and around the eyes. The results are not immediate. They take 2 weeks to reach full effect and will last around 3-4 months.
What are dermal fillers?
Dermal fillers consist of hyaluronic acid, which is a substance that is naturally present in our tissue. This hyaluronic acid in dermal fillers is synthesised in a lab.
Fillers have several uses. Firstly, they are used to re-volumise certain areas of the face which have suffered age-related volume loss, such as the temples, cheeks and under-eyes. Apart from treating wrinkles and lines, dermal fillers can also enhance specific facial features. For instance, they can add more definition to the cheeks, reshape the nose without surgery or create a more chiselled jawline. Finally, they can be used to plump out lines and wrinkles, such as the nasolabial lines and marionette lines around the mouth.
So what's the difference?
In summary, dermal fillers can not only treat wrinkles and lines but also enhance specific facial features by adding definition to the cheeks, reshaping the nose without surgery or creating a more chiselled jawline.
Whilst botox works by temporarily weakening muscles, fillers work by adding volume and structure to certain areas of the face and can physically plump out lines and wrinkles.
Botox is primarily used to treat lines and wrinkles in the upper face, whereas fillers are mainly used to treat lower face areas.
Finally, the length of results between the two treatments is different. Botox typically lasts around 3-4 months, whereas fillers can last up to two years or more in many cases.
In conclusion, both botox and fillers are excellent treatments for a variety of cosmetic concerns and work in very different ways. It is crucial to get advice from an experienced aesthetic practitioner who can guide you in determining which is the best treatment for you.
