We all want to look and feel our absolute best, which is why so many of us take pride in our appearance. Sadly, whilst we can exercise, eat well, dress well, and lead a healthy lifestyle, one thing we can’t do, is slow down the hands of time. Old father time waits for no person, so the tell-tale signs of ageing are eventually going to catch up with us all.
However, whilst we can’t stop time, or turn back the hands of time, we can reduce/prevent the signs of ageing, especially in our faces. Whilst every line and wrinkle tells a story, many of us would much rather have plump, smooth, wrinkle-free skin.
This is where cosmetic procedures and treatments like botox and dermal fillers prove so beneficial. But what is botox, what are dermal fillers, and can you use a dermal filler with botox? Well, let’s take a more detailed look, shall we?
What exactly is botox and how does it work? – Botox, or Botulinum toxin, is a completely purified, natural protein which is designed to help relax the muscles within the face. Primarily, botox is designed to help prevent and reduce the lines and wrinkles within the face.
Though primarily it is designed to reduce wrinkles and lines in the face, it can also be prescribed to help treat other conditions as well, including excessive sweating, a sagging neck and migraines. The solution is injected into the face, around the area in which the lines and wrinkles are at their most concentrated.
Though ever so slightly painful, botox injections, for the most part at least, require no downtime or recovery time at all. Primarily it is injected into the forehead, and into the area surrounding the eyes, making it great for people who suffer from ‘crow’s feet’.
What are Dermal fillers? – Next up we’ll take a look at dermal fillers. Some people seem to be under the impression that dermal fillers are the same as Botox, when in reality, they aren’t at all. Dermal fillers are sometimes called facial fillers.
They too are designed to prevent/reduce the lines and wrinkles in the face, commonly associated with aging. When people grow older, natural elastic and collagen reserves in their skin cells diminish, which in turn causes the skin to become saggy and a great deal looser than it was previously. In our bodies, we have natural reserves of a component known as Hyaluronic Acid, or HA for short.
This helps keep the skin strong, firm, youthful, and healthy looking. Dermal fillers inject HA into the skin, helping to plump it up and fill it out. These injections fill in parts of the face that are wrinkled, with collagen, helping to reduce them dramatically and stimulate the production of collagen within the face.
What are the main differences between the two? – So, though they are both designed to serve very similar purposes, Botox and dermal fillers are actually very different to one another.
Botox is designed to help the muscles in the face to relax, helping to drastically reduce the activity of said muscles in the face that cause lines and wrinkles. For example, people that use muscles in the forehead to frown a lot, are likely to have frown lines. Botox relaxes these muscles making it much harder to frown, and subsequently reducing frown lines.
Dermal fillers however, inject parts of the face with Hyaluronic Acid, which is naturally occurring, and subsequently helps the body to produce increased amounts of collagen and elastin. Whilst both serve a similar purpose, they both function very differently to one another.
Are Botox and dermal fillers for everybody? – No, absolutely not. Like virtually all cosmetic procedures and medications, Botox and/or dermal fillers are certainly not for everybody. For example, pregnant and/or breastfeeding women should not receive these treatments just to be on the safe side.
People who suffer from muscle complaints or other pre-existing medical conditions such as damaged nerves, should also avoid these treatments before consulting a trained medical expert.
Can I use Botox with dermal fillers? – Yes you can. When deciding which procedure to go with, it’s important to remember how each one works. For example, if you wish to get rid of what are known as dynamic wrinkles, which are caused by facial expressions you make, Botox is ideal.
For lines and wrinkles caused through ageing however, dermal fillers are ideal. Whilst you can indeed use both together, often you will find that when you have decided which wrinkles you wish to eliminate, that only one type of treatment will be needed. Why not book in for a free consultation at Dr Aesthetica
