Over time, we start to develop wrinkles from facial expressions, smiling, environmental factors or just from aging. We live in a time where we have several different options to alleviate the surface appearance of these lines and help us look and feel a little younger. There are two mainstream treatments to choose from – botox and dermal fillers. These non-surgical options can erase a few years off the face without the cost or recovery time of a face lift to look instantly younger.
There is a difference between Botox and dermal fillers, although both can give patients outstanding results. Botox is a treatment, among many other brand names, that paralyzes the muscle to alleviate movement. Dermal fillers are injectable substances that plump up and fill areas of the face.
What is Botox and How Does it Work?
Patients who have wrinkles on their forehead or around their eyes have been able to quickly delete them with a few Botox treatments and look years younger. Botox is a drug made from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum that can help paralyze muscle movement. It is perfectly safe and was approved by the FDA in 2002. During a Botox treatment, the doctor will use a super-thin needle to inject small amounts of it into the areas around wrinkles on the face.
Botox works by relaxing the muscles on your face that pinch the skin and squeeze it into wrinkles. When these muscles are relaxed the wrinkles they form disappear. Other common muscle relaxers like Dysport, or Xeomin also similar popular non-surgical cosmetic treatments performed today.
A Botox treatment usually takes about 10-20 minutes. Recovery is minimal since Botox is non-surgical. Some patients get bruising and swelling but that goes away within a week.
One Botox treatment can typically last between three and four months.
What Are Dermal Fillers and How Do They Work?
While Botox became a cultural phenomenon thanks to its wide use by celebrities, fewer people are aware of the option of dermal fillers. Dermal fillers can sometimes provide longer-lasting results than Botox. Patients who have deeper wrinkles on their face that aren’t caused by active muscle movement can instantly erase them with a dermal filler.
As we age, our skin loses it elasticity and its “fullness.” Dermal fillers replace the plumpness of the skin and can even be used to sculpt and enhance your facial features while providing powerful wrinkle-erasing results. Hyaluronic acid filler brands are the most popular and sought-after treatments, with other formulations closely following. The ease of application and safety of hyaluronic acid as a substance native to the human body is a common reason for this choice. This includes Juvéderm products and Restylane products.
Just like Botox, dermal fillers are injected directly into the tissues of the wrinkle and plump up the skin so that the wrinkle lessens. Dermal fillers can last from six to twenty-four months.
Rewards Program
There are ways to save money and get discounts with wrinkle relaxers and fillers. Many practitioners, including Dr. Comizio, participate in incentive loyalty programs like Allē that offer the ability to earn rewards, coupons, and discounts for getting dermal fillers, Lattisse, Juvederm, Skin Medica products, and Botox.
If you are considering trying a wrinkle relaxer like Botox, or dermal fillers, please call to schedule a consultation with our office.
