Many people tend to get mixed-up with the use of fillers and Botox (botulinum toxin). Are fillers used to treat wrinkles or is that a Botox thing? Can Botox add volume to the face? What is the difference and why does it matter anyway? These are questions frequently made by people who are considering a non-invasive procedure to turn back the clock of aging and to refresh their appearance.
It may seem somewhat trivial, but the difference between Botox and fillers is monumental. As a potential user of these products you should understand the differences. Botox and fillers complement each other, but they are indicated for totally different uses.
Fillers add volume while Botox relaxes muscles
The main difference in these products lies in their mechanism of action. Botox works by relaxing muscles to reduce wrinkles and expression lines. Facial fillers provide volume to areas of the face that become deflated with age, such as the cheeks and the lips. Fillers are made up of different materials that provide volume; the type of material depends on the brand of fillers. Most fillers used today are derived from hyaluronic acid, a normal component of human skin. Hyaluronic acid has a specific viscosity and elasticity that makes it ideal for volume augmentation. It also has the advantage of being dissolvable with an enzyme so that its volume can be reduced if the patient dislikes the result.
The human face starts to lose volume very early in life. This is a normal process and part of aging. We see it more strikingly in the cheeks, the brows and the lips. Fat pockets lose volume or the fat redistributes to areas on the lower third of the face, creating folds and jowls. This phenomenon is called “descent and deflation,” and it explains why when we age some parts of our face look gaunt while others accumulate fat.
Consequently, in areas that have lost volume, more volume is needed. This is where fillers come in. Instead of relaxing muscles, like you would do with Botox, fillers provide volume where saggy skin and folds have formed. The best example of this are the cheek folds that form from the nose to the corners of the mouth. In the past, dermatologist and plastic surgeons would fill the fold, creating a strange and unnatural look, until they realized that the cause of these folds was a loss of volume in the cheek. As the cheek lost volume, the skin sagged downward to create this fold. So, the solution lies in raising the cheek to its youthful position by replacing the volume lost with age.
Fillers and Botox complement each other
Although Botox has different indications than fillers, it works together with them to provide a harmonious rejuvenative result. This concept has been popularized by Allergan through its Soft Lift anti- aging treatment. The idea is to soften wrinkles with Botox, and to add volume to the face with hyaluronic acid fillers, achieving a more complete improvement and reversing “descent and deflation” at the same time.
When it comes to facial rejuvenation without surgery, the answer lies in the symbiosis between botulinum toxin products and hyaluronic acid fillers. This really is an art form that must be performed by a doctor with knowledge in the different properties of the products, and the training and experience of their application.
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