Botox® and dermal fillers are some of the most powerful tools we have in our anti-aging toolkit when it comes to turning back the clock on aging skin. Botox® has the power to not only treat, but actually prevent wrinkles from forming. Dermal fillers offer instantaneous results that smooth our skin and add contour and definition to our features. Although very different in their method of action, Botox® and dermal fillers can work beautifully in tandem to enhance your outcome and even prolong the longevity of your results!
How do Botox® and dermal fillers work differently?
Botox® is a purified form of an injectable neurotoxin that temporarily relaxes a muscle’s ability to contract. Over time, repeated muscle contractions from expressions such as frowning, squinting your eyes, and raising your eyebrows can cause wrinkles on the overlying skin. By inhibiting that muscle contraction, Botox® smooths the skin and reduces the appearance of wrinkles. When strategically placed by the hands of a skilled injector, Botox® can also create a subtle lift to your features, especially the upper face.
Dermal fillers are composed of various substances, such as cross-linked hyaluronic acid, that when injected into tissue, instantly restores volume and softens fine lines and wrinkles. Common areas for dermal filler include the lips, cheeks, and the lines that run from the corners of your nose to the corners of your lips. Dermal fillers can also be used to enhance the contours of the face, especially when used in the temples, cheeks, chin, and jawline.
How do Botox® and dermal fillers complement each other?
It is beneficial to combine Botox® and fillers because each treats different types of wrinkles. Botox® treats active, or “dynamic” wrinkles. These are caused by repeated facial movements like furrowing your eyebrows, pursing your lips, and squinting your eyes. Dermal fillers work best on smooth, or “static” wrinkles. These are visible even when our face is at rest, like the deep lines that run from the side of your nose to the corners of your mouth and around the lips.
Combining Botox® with fillers leads to more balanced, harmonious results. As you soften the crinkled crow’s feet around your eyes with Botox®, you may also opt for dermal filler to restore volume to deep, under eye hollows. Lips that have small, vertical smoker’s line can benefit from a soft filler to smooth them and Botox® to prevent the pursing action that is causing them. The list of potential benefits of this “treatment in tandem” method goes on and on!
Can combining Botox® and dermal fillers make my results last longer?
In short, YES! Dermal fillers, especially those made of hyaluronic acid, tend to break down more quickly when injected into very animated areas of the face, such as our lips. If Botox® is injected into this area, it can relax this muscle movement and prolong the lifespan of your filler results.
Are you interested in learning more about how your skin may benefit from the combination of Botox® and dermal fillers? Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Skin Artisans Injection Specialist by calling (952) 767-3163 or by CLICKING HERE!
