Differences Between Botox and Facial Fillers

Cosmetic injections have taken the world by storm. While plastic surgery is still an option for permanent facial transformations, injectable cosmetics can be a less-invasive and quicker option to make subtle changes to the face. Botox is one of the most popular cosmetic injections, but there are also many facial fillers that can be used for improving the beauty and youthfulness of the face. Here are the differences between Botox and facial fillers, and how they can be used separately or together.

Botox Basics

Botox is FDA-approved to diminish certain lines and wrinkles on the face. Botox works by relaxing muscle contractions that cause certain lines to appear. Frown lines between the brows or on the forehead are treatable with Botox, as are crow’s feet around the eyes. The injections take a few days to begin working and the treatment lasts for 3- 6 months before the effects wear off.

Facial Filler Basics

Facial fillers add volume under the skin. There are dozens of different fillers that can be used to smooth wrinkles or add volume to lips, skin or cheeks. Some can help increase collagen in the skin and are often used to create a more youthful appearance. The effects of facial fillers do fade, lasting from a few months up to two years, depending on the type of filler.

Using Botox and Facial Fillers Together

While both Botox and facial fillers can be used to smooth lines and wrinkles, they achieve it differently. Botox works on lines that only appear with muscle contraction, while fillers work even when the face is relaxed. When used together by an experienced plastic surgeon, Botox and facial fillers can create a more youthful appearance without surgery.

Posted on behalf of:
Beverly Hills Center for Plastic & Laser Surgery
120 South Spalding Drive #236
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 288-0641

How Often Should You Get Botox?

Botox is the most popular cosmetic service used in the U.S. It is used for a variety of cosmetic treatments at plastic surgery clinics, from diminishing lines and wrinkles to giving the face a lift. It can help turn back the hands of time, taking years off your appearance. However, it is a temporary effect, so Botox injections do need to be repeated to maintain the results. Here is more information on using Botox for cosmetic treatments and how often you will need to get injections to maintain your results.

Botox is a neurotoxin that causes a minimal paralysis in the targeted muscles. This stops the contractions that cause lines and wrinkles, especially those used when smiling or frowning. Botox can also be used to give a non-surgical “lift” to the brow by targeting the muscles that pull the skin and tissue down. When administered by a cosmetic professional at a plastic surgery clinic, the results can be impressive, which is why it is so popular.

The frequency needed to maintain the results can depend on what muscles are targeted and the person. In most cases, Botox lasts about 4-8 months before the effects begin to wear off and the injections need to be repeated. The injections can usually be done in a quick appointment at your local plastic surgeon’s office and there is no downtime after the procedure.

If you are interested in Botox, make sure to choose a medical professional to administer your injections. Placement and dosage are critical to get the preferred results. A plastic surgeon has the expertise and education to ensure you get the best Botox results.

Posted on behalf of:
Kami Parsa, M.D.
Oculoplastic Surgery
465 N Roxbury Dr. Suite 1011
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 777-8880

How Old Should You Be When You Get Botox?

Everywhere you look, from the pages of magazines to billboards to movie stars on the red carpet, there is pressure to look young and beautiful – and wrinkle free. It is no wonder more and more young women, sometimes as young as their early 20s or late teens, are seeking anti-aging cosmetic treatments and surgery. Some even believe it will stop or slow the aging process.

Recent controversy has focused on Botox Cosmetic injections. Comprised of a toxin derived from a bacterium that causes the food poisoning botulism, Botox Cosmetic decreases the look of forehead wrinkles and furrows by relaxing certain facial muscles.  The effects, which can be quite striking, last for 3-4 months, at which point your face will return back to its original state. For this reason, many people continue Botox treatments indefinitely once they begin.

The Food and Drug Administration, the government arm that regulates Botox, says it is safe and reliable for cosmetic treatment and typically carries only a few side effects, such as headaches or a little pain at the injection site.  The FDA, however, does not impose any guidelines as far as age, which raises the question: how old should you be to start Botox injections?

There are many reports of doctors turning patients away who are too young. But in doing so, it is not necessarily the age they’re disputing, but the need. In other words, if there are no wrinkles present, there is no need for Botox. A responsible, reputable doctor will not recommend or conduct a procedure if the need isn’t present.

However, wrinkles can indeed start to appear in your 20s and 30s, and Botox works remarkably in smoothing out those wrinkles, giving you a younger appearance. There is also evidence, although mostly anecdotal, that Botox treatments are more effective when started earlier rather than later, when wrinkles are more deeply defined.

Post provided by Benjamin Stong MD

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Eliminate Wrinkes With Botox

You may have wondered if Botox really works to help diminish fine lines and wrinkles.  Or, you may have wondered if you will look ‘fake’ or ‘false’ if you have Botox done.  This article will help describe how Botox works, and who benefits from this procedure.

Botox works by temporarily ‘paralyzing’ the muscles that cause wrinkles to appear.  Botox works well against all types of wrinkles, and can be used for moderate to severe wrinkles.  Botox is especially helpful in eliminating crow’s feet, worry lines, mouth lines, and furrows between eyebrows.

No anesthetic is needed.  Botox is a simple, small injection given to patients.  The whole procedure lasts about 10 minutes.  Results are seen within three days. 

Botox is temporary.  Results will last about three to four months.  If you decide not to have repeated Botox treatments, the lines and wrinkles that were there before will return.

The best results of Botox are seen when early intervention is started.  Botox is not for everyone, and before having or receiving a Botox treatment, make sure that you share with your physician any medications (including herbals and supplements) you are on, if you have ever had problems breathing, or if you have any other types of chronic disorders.  Together, you and your physician can make the best decision on your anti-aging regimen. 

To see if you are a candidate for Botox, consult your local facial plastic surgeon today.  Start the anti-aging process today with Botox to help reduce and diminish lines, wrinkles and the ‘11’ that may have appeared between your eyebrows!