If you’ve had experience mixing incompatible chemicals and substances — such as bleach with ammonia or soda with Mentos — you may be a little reluctant to combine therapies that go on your face.
You might wonder if using Botox® and Juvéderm® together cancels out both or creates some unwanted effect.
Fortunately, Botox and other neuromodulators are perfectly compatible with dermal fillers. And that goes for the hyaluronic acid (HA) type of dermal fillers, such as Juvéderm or Restylane®, and collagen stimulators, including Radiesse®.
With injectables, the factor that most determines your success is the training and expertise of your injector. Knowing exactly where to inject and how much product you need to get the desired results is paramount for a truly natural, satisfying result.
At The Center for Dermatology Cosmetic & Laser Surgery in Mount Kisco, New York, our skilled dermatologists and aestheticians take pride in their skill with injectable therapies. After an in-depth consultation, we use Botox, Juvéderm, and other fillers to help you reach your goals.
How can you benefit from using both Botox and fillers? Below is a brief guide.
Botox and fillers treat different areas
Botox primarily treats the upper face, while dermal fillers usually address lines and creases in the mid- to lower face. Botox can also soften the look of neck bands. So, if you have fine lines and wrinkles in various areas, you probably need a combination of Botox and fillers.
Use Botox for:
- Crow’s feet around eyes
- Frown lines between brows
- Bunny lines on top of the nose
- Forehead furrows
- Neck lines
Use fillers for:
- Nasolabial folds from nose to mouth
- Marionette lines from mouth to chin
- Perioral lines (aka smoker’s lines)
- Fine lines and creases on the face
Botox and fillers treat different types of wrinkles
Botox stops you from making expressions that eventually get pressed into wrinkles. These types of wrinkles are called dynamic wrinkles because they result from dynamic, expressive facial muscles, such as those that control squinting and frowning.
Botox works by blocking the signals your brain sends to your muscles when you express emotions, such as anger, worry, or laughter.
With just the right amount of Botox, administered by an expert injector, your muscles can make enough of those expressions to convey emotions but not enough to wrinkle your skin.
After Botox takes effect, your dynamic muscles relax, and the skin over them does too. Within days to weeks, your dynamic wrinkles smooth out as if ironed.
In contrast, dermal fillers don’t affect underlying muscles. Instead, they do as their name describes: They fill in the voids. These voids are created in your skin by the loss of collagen, fat, and your body’s natural hyaluronic acid.
Unlike Botox, which takes a while to work, dermal fillers instantly fill up and smooth out wrinkles. You leave our office looking younger than when you entered.
Botox and fillers are on different timetables
The one “wrinkle” to using Botox with fillers is they’re on slightly different timetables. Fillers work instantly and last 6-18 months or more, depending on the type and consistency of the filler we use to address your needs.
Botox, in contrast, lasts 3-4 months. To keep your rejuvenated look fresh, we create a touch-up schedule for you and send you reminders.
Do you want to restore youth and glow to your entire face — from top to bottom? Contact us for Botox and dermal fillers today, by phone or online.