In the world of Instagram reels and social media spreading more awareness and giving a peak in about everything that’s happening around, we do get fascinated by a lot of things and develop curiosity for so many things happening around. One of which is Botox and fillers.
There’s so much noise everywhere about these cosmetic procedures and we all want to get them for ourselves but do you have good enough knowledge about them?
Just yesterday I had a patient walk in my clinic and ask for a Botox for herself but little did she know that she didn’t need Botox on her face but fillers.
A good long consultation later she was convinced that it’s not Botox that will give her the changes that she likes to see on her face but fillers.I’d like to take this opportunity to give my share of knowledge to you and educate you about the difference between the two cosmetic procedures.
What is Botox?
It’s a purified form of the botulinum toxin that is obtained by bacteria. Botox used in large quantities is dangerous but a generous amount of the toxin used to correct wrinkle lines and for other therapeutic use does not cause any harm. It’s been safely used in the medical industry since decades now with negligible side effects.
How does Botox work?
Botox works by blocking the nerve signals in the muscles where it’s injected. By blocking the nerve signals in that particular muscle, the muscle there is frozen or temporarily paralysed and the temporary paralysis of the muscle leads to softening of the wrinkles or may even remove the wrinkles completely for a certain period of time.
Botox can only work on wrinkles that are caused by movement of muscles i.e. on your expression lines. The expression lines that Botox can treat are “11’s” between your brows, crow’s feet around the eyes, the horizontal lines on the forehead, and the lines that are caused by smiling, frowning, squinting and other facial expressions.
The static wrinkles that are on the cheeks, necks and jowl areas are not affected by Botox because these wrinkles are not caused by the movement of any muscle and hence no paralysis of muscle will help them.
How long does Botox work?
Depending on what Botox you use and which muscle is targeted the effects of Botox may range from 3 months to 12 months. You can get another appointment booked with your doctor for your next session of Botox after the effect wears off.
Side effects of Botox?
Botox is considered to be safe when used in small amounts and the little side effects if they occur are only temporary.Possible side effects are -
- Drooping of eyelids if the Botox is injected near the eyes.
- Weakness or paralysis of nearby muscles.
- Rashes, hives and itching.
- Pain, bleeding, bruising, numbness.
- Blurry vision
- Dry mouth
The treatment may also fail in some individuals due to the antibodies fighting the toxin but this may happen in less than 1% of cases.
You are advised to not rub or massage the area where Botox is injected to prevent it from spreading to the nearby surrounding muscles causing muscle drooping and other problems.
What are dermal fillers?
Dermal fillers also known as soft tissue fillers are substances designed to be injected beneath the skin and add volume or fullness. Different types of fillers are used for different kinds of cosmetic concerns. The effect of fillers and for how long they last may vary from 6 months to 2 years depending on the type of filler being used.
You should consult your doctor and speak about your concerns and expectations so that the doctor can better decide which filler will be best to address your concern.
What can dermal fillers correct?
Dermal fillers are used to correct various signs of ageing and depending on the filler being used they can -
- Correct thinning of the lips.
- Enhance or fill in shallow areas of the face.
- Decrease or remove wrinkles or shallowness under the eyes caused by lower eyelids.
- Reduced the scarring caused by an old accident.
- Soften static wrinkles.
What are the side effects of dermal fillers?
- Bruising, redness, swelling.
- Inability to fill the shallow areas of the face.
- Death of cells due to loss of blood flow to the cells.
- Ability to feel the filler under the skin.
- Over correction of the wrinkles.
- Asymmetry of the face or undesirable outcome.
Botox and dermal fillers are used for different purposes. When you consult your doctor and speak to him/her about your expectations he/she may even go ahead to use both fillers and Botox at different areas of the face to give you the desired outcome.