Fillers or Botox: Which One To Choose?

As facial aesthetics becomes more popular, the uncertainty of what to choose rises. There are many options to solve the same, or very similar, issues. Some of the pressing questions when getting deeper into medical aesthetics is “fillers or botox?” Both are able to take care of wrinkles, but which one is the best for certain situations? Are some wrinkles suitable for one injectable and not the other?

1. What is it and how does it work?

Botox is the trade name for Botulinum Toxin Type A, which is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Botulinum toxin A is approved for cosmetic use and botulinum toxin B is used for different types of muscle diseases. Botox works by blocking nerve signals in the muscles where it is injected. When those nerve signals are interrupted, the affected muscle is temporarily paralyzed or frozen. Without movement of these selected muscles in the face, certain wrinkles may be softened, reduced, or even removed.

2. Who should use Botox?

But the main thing is, Botox only works on wrinkles that are caused by muscle movement. These are known as dynamic wrinkles, and are often called "expression lines." Botox will not work on fine lines and wrinkles caused by sagging or loss of plumpness in the face. These are known as static wrinkles. Static wrinkles include lines in the cheek and neck areas. Botox is not used for fine lines caused by collagen breakdown. The most common dynamic wrinkles that Botox can treat are lines on the upper face, such as the "11" between the brows, horizontal lines on the forehead, and crow's feet around the eyes. These lines are caused by smiling, frowning, squinting, and other facial expressions.

1. What are they and how do they work?

Dermal fillers are gel-like substances that are injected beneath the skin to restore volume, smooth lines, or enhance facial contours. Plus, dermal fillers have grown in popularity due to being less costly than surgery, have limited-to-no recovery time and while they are temporary, some can last up to 2 years. Dermal fillers are substances designed to be injected beneath the surface of the skin to add volume and fullness.

Dermal fillers also treat wrinkles on the face. They're primarily used to treat smile lines, though the fillers can also be used to plump up the lips or cheeks. Sometimes, they're used for hand treatments or to reduce the appearance of scars.

2. Who should use fillers?

Dermal fillers also treat wrinkles on the face. They're primarily used to treat smile lines, though the fillers can also be used to plump up the lips or cheeks. Sometimes, they're used for hand treatments or to reduce the appearance of scars. Fillers can only correct static wrinkles. 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.

Fillers are designed to treat numerous things such as; plump up thinning lips, enhance or fill in shallow areas on the face (such as under eye), fill in or soften the look of recessed scars (such as acne scars) and fill in or soften static wrinkles (such as nasolabial folds).