If you’ve ever looked into anti-aging treatments, this probably isn’t your first time reading about Botox® or dermal fillers. These are some of the most popular and time-tested cosmetic procedures around if you’re looking for nonsurgical options.
While our patients at Best Impression Med Spa love the results of opting for both services in one procedure — often called a liquid facelift — there’s an exact science on how to combine them that depends on the unique needs of each individual.
How do these products work? This brief guide can help you determine if you may be best suited to Botox, fillers, or a combination of both.
Botox Cosmetic is the brand name for botulinum toxin, which is the compound we inject. It works to temporarily paralyze parts of your facial muscles by blocking nerve signals so your skin can no longer dynamically wrinkle.
A dynamic wrinkle, as opposed to a static wrinkle, is visible when you make a facial expression but goes away when your face returns to rest. Repetitive facial expressions gradually deepen those dynamic wrinkles as you age and your skin becomes less elastic so the lines remain and look even more severe when you smile or frown.
Botox halts your muscle’s ability to make those expressions as dramatically, reducing the appearance of dynamic wrinkles over time — and even preventing them from occurring or getting deeper.
When administered by experts like Dr. Robert Mirabile and Dr. Vivian Hsu, Botox creates subtle-looking and safe results. But there’s some signs of aging it can’t address as well as others. This is where dermal fillers come in.
The term “fillers” refers to a plethora of different injectable cosmetic treatments. We generally inject dermal fillers into the skin above the muscle (unlike Botox) to restore lost facial volume and plump out the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and static wrinkles.
Your natural collagen stores deplete as you age. Collagen is a highly elastic protein found in the deeper layers of your skin, and the more collagen you have naturally, the more youthful, plump, and smooth your skin appears.
Facial fillers are very popular to counteract the effects of the loss of collagen that occurs as you age, but they can also augment certain areas of the face — such as your lips, cheeks, nose, and chin — to create desired fullness.
We choose to primarily work with hyaluronic acid-based fillers such as Juvederm® and Restylane®. These are the most popular and tested dermal filler compositions, and our patients love that hyaluronic acid is a substance naturally present in your skin.
There are a lot of reasons why combining Botox and fillers is such a popular cosmetic approach. Using the two injectables in different areas of the face addresses both types of wrinkles beautifully and allows us to tailor your aesthetic treatment to your unique features, goals, and needs.
Our patients love that they can see an immediate difference in their skin after treatment. Fillers provide instant results, while Botox may take a few days to a week to start showing improvements, with full results around two weeks.
The liquid facelift is also minimally invasive compared to other cosmetic procedures, particularly to its original namesake. You’re properly numbed but you stay awake during your liquid facelift. Apart from some light swelling for a few days after injections, there’s virtually no downtime like what’s required for healing after surgery.
Another factor that makes the liquid facelift appealing is that results are long-lasting, but not permanent because your body slowly absorbs the injectables. You can get a refresher to maintain a natural look, but you don’t have to worry about making changes to your face that you can’t go back on as you might with surgery.
However, it’s important to know that Botox and fillers tend to last for different amounts of time, with Botox results lasting around four months and filler lasting for a year or more. This is why it is imperative that you work with a trusted professional to customize your ongoing treatment.
If we’ve piqued your interest and you are near Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, we’d love to chat with you about your goals to find the best surgical or nonsurgical anti-aging option for you. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
