The differences between Botox® and dermal fillers

Injectables such as Botox and dermal fillers are popular non-surgical injectable treatments that offer quick results without the recovery time required of surgery. While they treat different kinds of wrinkles on your face, Botox and dermal fillers can be used together to address your concerns. Here is how they work and how they differ:

Botox treats dynamic wrinkles

Dynamic wrinkles form when the muscle beneath the skin contracts such as when you squint, smile or frown. Botox is an FDA-approved treatment that works beneath the surface of the skin to temporarily relax muscles that cause expression lines. It consists of botulinum toxin type A, which, injected in small doses into a muscle, effectively paralyzes the muscle for some time with no side effects. It’s delivered through fine-needle injections into certain muscles to reduce the appearance of forehead lines, crow’s feet, frown lines between the eyebrows and skin bands on the neck. Depending on your concerns, you may need several injections. You can expect to see results in three to seven days, lasting up to six months. To maintain results, you will need additional treatments.

Dermal fillers treat static wrinkles

Dermal fillers help treat static wrinkles, which are wrinkles that show at all times and are caused by sun damage, decreasing production of collagen and elastin, and habits such as smoking. Botox does not affect these wrinkles. At the Ocuplastic Center at Eye & LASIK Center, we offer two FDA-approved fillers, Restylane® and Radiesse®. Restylane is a dermal filler injection composed of hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance in your body that binds with water molecules under the skin to smooth wrinkles and folds around the mouth and nose by “filling” the wrinkle. Radiesse utilizes calcium hydroxyapatite microspheres suspended in a water-based gel that work together to provide volume and trigger the body to produce new collagen in the area to build longer-lasting results. You’ll see results right away, with results last a year or longer.

Eye & LASIK Center offers a variety of oculoplastic services, which is plastic surgery of the eye and adjacent areas. This includes eyelid surgery and brow lifts, Botox and dermal fillers. To learn more about how injectables can help you achieve a more youthful appearance, contact Longwood Eye & LASIK Center today by calling (800) 676-5050 and setting up a personal consultation at one of our several locations.