Botox vs dermal fillers: Which one is right for you?

If you’re looking to turn back the clock on aging, a surgical facelift offers the most dramatic results. However, not everyone is willing or able to commit to having surgery. There are also many people whose concerns aren’t quite severe enough that surgery is a good option, but they’re still looking for a way to rejuvenate their facial appearance. 

Fortunately, there are also nonsurgical options for addressing the visible signs of aging on the face. The two most popular are dermal fillers and botox. If you’re considering a nonsurgical method of facial rejuvenation, how can you decide between these options? How do they compare with each other?

Dermal fillers are used to fill in grooves or wrinkles

Dermal fillers are used to add volume to specific areas of the face. There are a few different types, but the most popular are made of hyaluronic acid. This is a substance that’s naturally present in your body, and it acts to hold water in your tissues and keep them hydrated.

When used for anti-aging, dermal fillers can be injected under particular deep grooves or wrinkles. By filling it in, the wrinkle becomes much less apparent. In addition, dermal fillers can be used to add back volume to areas of the face that may have lost it as a result of the aging process. One common example is the midface (the cheeks), which tend to hollow out as we age. Dermal fillers can be used to add back this lost volume, to create a more youthful appearance.

Botox is used to prevent future wrinkles

Botox works very differently than dermal fillers. It acts to relax muscles, by preventing nerves from activating them. When it’s used for facial rejuvenation, botox is injected into particular facial muscles. The action of those muscles tends to cause folds, grooves, or wrinkles to appear in the skin over time. By keeping them relaxed, botox prevents the formation of those wrinkles.

In general, botox won’t directly act to get rid of any grooves or wrinkles that have already formed. However, by relaxing the muscles that caused those grooves to form in the first place, it keeps them from becoming worse. Over time, without the action of the muscles causing folds in the skin, the wrinkles often gradually smooth out and become less apparent. However, this will take some time to occur, so existing wrinkles won’t disappear immediately with botox.

Botox is only effective at treating specific types of wrinkles that are caused by the action of facial muscles. Wrinkles caused by other factors, like gravity or sun exposure, won’t generally be affected by botox.  

Can you use them both at the same time?

There are many people who already have wrinkles or grooves that they’re concerned about, and are also interested in preventing future wrinkles from arising. They may want to have both botox and dermal fillers injected. These two treatments work by very different mechanisms, so they don’t interfere with each other. This means that it’s possible to inject both of them during the same treatment session, allowing for a complete facial rejuvenation with maximum convenience.

Botox dermal fillers Charlotte

If you’re interested in nonsurgical methods of facial rejuvenation, we invite you to schedule an appointment for a consultation with Dr. Miles. He’ll be happy to talk with you about your options, and what results you could likely expect from each. You’ll get the benefit of his incredibly detailed knowledge of facial anatomy, so you’ll know that you’re in good hands. If a surgical facelift is an option that you might be willing to consider, he’ll be happy to discuss that possibility with you too. To book your appointment, simply contact our front desk.