Botox vs. Fillers: What's the Difference?
Botox and fillers are both popular treatments for helping the skin look smoother and younger. It makes sense that people talk about them together, because lots of folks who get one treatment will get the other one, too.
But did you know Botox and fillers are actually two very different ways of treating the skin? If not, you’re not alone. Read on to learn how Botox, fillers, or both can help you bring attention to the best in you.
Botox relaxes muscles to get rid of wrinkles
Wrinkles are caused by two main things:
The amount of a protein called collagen that is in our skin, which naturally decreases as we get older
The muscles in our faces scrunching our skin in ways that leave wrinkles
Botox is a muscle-relaxer that helps with the second cause.
For about 3 to 4 months at a time, Botox causes the muscles it is injected into to crease the skin less. During that time, the skin both rebuilds collagen where the wrinkles were and stops the creation of new wrinkles. So if your main concern is fine lines, Botox is there for you!
Fillers add volume to areas that are sunken or have deep wrinkles
Fillers kind of do what their name says: they fill in parts of the skin that have dropped down or that you want more volume in. The most popular uses of fillers are to:
Get rid of smile or frown lines
Sculpt your jawline
Plump your lips
Contour your face as a whole
Enhance cheeks, temples, hands, and more
Like Botox, fillers do also help with wrinkles. But you won’t want to use fillers on shallow lines or wrinkles in parts of the face where you don’t want to add volume. (We find that most people don’t want to make their forehead more voluminous, for example.) So if you’re looking to plump a feature or get rid of a deeper line, fillers may be the best choice.
Fillers and Botox need a little time to show results
Botox appointments can be very quick, lasting only 15 minutes. But the real effects of it won’t show up for 1 or 2 weeks after the appointment. First signs of the muscles relaxing will come in 2 to 7 days, but it is important to be patient and wait for the full results before deciding to do other treatments.
Fillers can last anywhere from 6 to 18 months, which is pretty amazing! The appointments themselves may be a little longer, and you may experience swelling or bruising for up to 2 weeks after the treatment. You’ll notice results right away, but the final look won’t be visible until the swelling goes away.
At Adorn Aesthetics, we consider it an important part of our job to help you figure out what you like about your face and how we can help you bring out those features. Whether you’re looking to emphasize your nice cheekbones or bring back the brightness around your eyes, we will talk with you to decide how much Botox or filler is right for your unique face. Book an appointment online or call us at (681) 282-5591 today to start the conversation!