Botox and dermal fillers are cosmetic treatments administered through injections. Although they both have similarities, they’re different types of treatments.
Wrinkle-relaxing injections such as Botulinum Toxin (Botox®) are a non-surgical cosmetic skin treatment that helps to reduce and prevent unwanted signs of ageing. This is achieved by administering a very small dose of muscle relaxant protein via a fine needle under the skin, commonly used to target forehead and frown lines, crow’s feet, gummy smile, and bunny lines, as well as for jawline slimming.
When Botox is injected, it blocks the signals from the nerve endings to the muscle, therefore reducing or stopping contraction. This temporary relaxation method means that the skin no longer creases, making lines fade/’disappear’.
Following Botox treatment, it remains in the body for around 48 hours. During this time, the product targets the receptors of muscles that have been injected. These receptors, which receive messages from the brain telling the muscle to move, grow back over a period of several months. When relaxed, the skin heals and lines remain softer for longer between treatments.
Botox results are not immediate, and it usually takes 2-5 days to see the full effects, which are at their best around the 2-week mark. Movement usually starts to reappear after approximately 8 weeks, and you can book a repeat treatment from week 12.
WHAT DOES DERMAL FILLER DO?
Dermal fillers are different to Botox, as they’re made from a product called hyaluronic acid, a gel injected into areas of volume loss.
As we age, our natural collagen and elastin levels decrease. By adding small amounts of carefully placed dermal filler to areas across the face, this can help to lift and tighten the skin and smooth folds for a more plump, youthful appearance.
At Eterno Aesthetics, we are proud to use Juvéderm Fillers, one of the safest and most renowned brands. This product offers a lovely, natural-looking result.
Often, a combination of both Botox and dermal filler (pictured) can offer optimum results.
WHAT AREAS DOES BOTOX TREAT?
UPPER FACE
When injected across the upper face, Botox treats a number of concerns, such as forehead wrinkles, eleven lines (between the eyebrows), frown lines and crow’s feet. We can also inject Botox to lift the eyebrows for a non-surgical brow lift.
LOWER FACE
These range from wide jaw, teeth grinding, lip lines and gummy smile to neck bands (the lines that run horizontally across the neck).
MIDFACE
The use of anti-wrinkle injections in the midface requires an advanced understanding of the facial muscular anatomy. Crow’s feet is a popular area to treat to allow smile lines to soften when smiling.
WHAT AREAS CAN DERMAL FILLERS TREAT?
- Cheeks
- Marionette lines
- Lips
- Lip lines
- Nasolabial folds
- Jowls or sagging skin
- Weak or recessed chin
- Jawline
- Non-surgical face-lift
HOW CAN BOTOX AND DERMAL FILLERS WORK TOGETHER?
Though wrinkle relaxers and dermal fillers are very different types of injectables, they complement each other perfectly because they address different types of wrinkles. While Botox focuses on dynamic wrinkles, dermal fillers smooth out static wrinkles, which are visible even when the face is at rest. Dermal fillers also restore lost volume and help to sculpt youthful-looking contours, something Botox is not able to do.
Using Botox and dermal fillers together can prolong the results of the treatment and prevent deep-set wrinkles from forming. There’s very little downtime; therefore, they are both a great alternative to surgery.
Interested in any of these treatments? Book a consultation with us at Eterno Aesthetics skin clinic in Sheffield, close to Abbeydale Road and London Road.
