Botox Vs. Injectable Fillers: Which Is Best For You?

If you have started to notice fine lines and wrinkles developing on your face and wish you could erase them with no surgery or downtime, Botox injections and injectable fillers may be just the answer you are seeking. Botox and injectable fillers both diminish lines and wrinkles, giving you younger-looking skin – but they do so in different ways. To help you understand the differences, New York Group for Plastic Surgery has put together an overview of each treatment and delved into how they can help you rejuvenate your appearance.

What Is Botox?

Botox, also known as botulinum toxin, is derived from bacteria. In large doses, it can be deadly, but when used in regulated, minuscule amounts, it has been proven safe and effective in treating wrinkles. When Botox is injected into a muscle, it blocks signals from the nerves to the muscle, causing temporary paralysis of the injected muscle. This temporary and mild paralysis allows the wrinkles in the skin above the treatment area to soften, making the wrinkles appear less visible or vanish entirely. Our experienced surgeons will use the appropriate amount of Botox to ensure an optimal wrinkle treatment that doesn’t freeze your face or limit your natural facial expressions.

Botox is a temporary treatment that does not plump or fill wrinkles, nor does it add volume to sunken areas of the face. Instead, Botox is a powerful treatment for wrinkles that can give you a more youthful appearance because it targets the dynamic wrinkles that are created by the near-constant repetitive movements of your face, such as:

• Horizontal lines on the forehead
• Vertical lines (known as frown lines) between the eyebrows above the bridge of the nose
• Crow’s feet and wrinkles around the outer edges of the eyes
• Sagging brows

Your Botox procedure takes place in the comfort of our medical spa and will be administered by an experienced plastic surgeon. Your face will be assessed and marked to ensure proper placement of the Botox injections. There is no need for anesthesia. Once your face is cleaned, a tiny needle will be used to make injections into the muscles targeted for treatment. Because injection placement is more of an art than a science, you may be asked to smile or frown during the procedure to ensure the proper amount and placement of Botox is used. The number of injections depends on the patient and the number of wrinkles being treated. The entire procedure takes approximately 15 minutes.

Immediately following your Botox procedure, you can resume your normal activities. You may have slight swelling or redness, but that is usually managed by cold compresses and will go away quickly. Do not rub the treatment area to avoid distributing the Botox to unwanted areas.

You will see immediate results following your Botox injections, with optimal results visible a few days following your procedure. Botox results may last three to six months. However, some patients notice that their results last longer and are more effective with regular follow-up treatments.

What Are Injectable Fillers?

Injectable fillers, also called dermal fillers, imitate substances that occur naturally in the body that plump and fill wrinkles from within. At New York Group for Plastic Surgery, we typically use injectable fillers that contain one of these three substances: hyaluronic acid, poly-L-lactic acid or calcium hydroxylapatite microspheres. Each filler provides a different benefit; thus, we can custom-tailor a dermal filler plan to address your exact skin concerns.

Because injectable fillers plump and smooth the skin from within, they are best used to treat:

• Nasolabial folds (also called parentheses) that form on both sides of the nose and stretch down to the corners of the mouth
• Vertical lines (also called smile lines) at the corners of the mouth
• Marionette lines (lines that span from the mouth to the chin)
• Chin wrinkles
• Thin or uneven lips
• Hollow cheeks
• Sunken eyes
• Indented scars

Your injectable filler procedure takes place in the comfort of our medical spa and will be administered by an experienced plastic surgeon. Your face will be assessed and mapped to ensure proper placement of the filler. Next, the skin is cleaned, and a numbing cream or local anesthesia may be applied, although anesthesia is not necessary. Then, micro-injections are made in the pre-determined locations in the dermal layer below the skin, not in the muscle. After each injection, the surgeon will massage the injection site and evaluate the area to determine if additional filler is needed. Depending on the condition of the treatment area and the number of injections required, your injectable filler procedure may take 15 minutes up to an hour.

Most patients return to their normal activities immediately after their injectable filler procedure. You may experience slight swelling, bruising, and redness, which is usually managed by cold compresses or hidden by makeup. Avoid exercise or exertion for one to two days following your procedure to minimize swelling.

You will notice immediate results following your injectable filler procedure. Depending on the type of filler used, along with your skin type and the degree of wrinkles being treated, the following fillers can create lasting improvements to your face:

• Restylane®, Radiesse® and JUVÉDERM®—results can last six to 18 months after just one treatment
• Sculptra®—effects can last up to two years; however, to obtain optimal results you may need up to six additional injections spaced one month apart

Because Botox and injectable fillers target different types of wrinkles and have different uses in cosmetic enhancement, combining them can create an optimal improvement that relaxes deep wrinkles while it plumps and smooths other areas. Keep in mind that both procedures offer temporary results, ranging from three to 24 months, but they can help you beautifully enhance your appearance if you are not ready for a facelift.

We offer a variety of injectables, treatments, and procedures that can help you attain your desired goals. To learn more about how you can revitalize your appearance without surgery or downtime, call the New York Group for Plastic Surgery at 888-912-1279 to schedule a consultation.