Botox vs Fillers 101

Botox and fillers can both help in the fight against aging skin? Which one is right for you? Kathe Malinowski, lead esthetician and marketing manager for Eterna MedSpa & Laser Vein Center, explains how they differ in purpose:

1. Botox

The brand name for Botulinum neurotoxin A, Botox label is used on the lines around the upper face, such as crows feet and forehead lines.

“This non-surgical procedure blocks nerve impulses that cause facial muscles to contract,” Malinowski said. “In other words, Botox stops the muscle so it can no longer move. If there is no movement, the crease relaxes and thus, your wrinkles are smoother.”

Once injected, patients can expect to see their full results in up to 10 days. Results typically last around 3 months.

“Some patients can get results closer to four months, and those with particularly strong muscles may get closer to two months of no movement,” Malinowski said. “This helps to improve laugh lines, frown lines and crow’s feet.”

2. Dermal fillers

Injectable dermal fillers help restore volume and fullness.

“As we age we lose our volume and this results in face wrinkles and nasal label folds (the parentheses lines around the mouth area),” Malinowski said.

Eterna uses both Juvederm and Restylane products. Filler is made of Hyaluronic acid HA. Depending on the filler, results can last from a year to 18 months.

The Restylane family of products includes Restylane L, Restylane Lyft, Restylane Refyne and Restylane Defyne.

Restylane L is used to enhance and restore the shape of lips and the appearance of laugh lines (marionette lines and nasolabial folds) for a look that is natural.

Restylane Lyft can help restore lost volume and projection, bringing back the contours of your youthful face.

Restylane Refyne helps soften and smooth out marionette lines and nasolabial folds around the mouth. Refyne can also be used in the hands to give them a more youthful look.

“This generally last up to a year,” Malinowski said. “Injecting in the hands can help to camouflage veins in the hands.”

Restylane Defyne is a filler for deeper, thicker laugh lines.

“It corrects and restores a more youthful appearance to the face with flexibility and natural expression,” Malinowski said. “Folds and wrinkles are reduced with minimum downtime.”

The Restylane fillers have results that can last up to 12 months.

In the Juvederm family there is Voluma XC, Vollure, Volbella and Kybella.

Voluma XC is the first and only injectable dermal filler gel which is FDA-approved to treat the mid-face and cheek area.

“This non-invasive treatment targets volume loss at a foundational level,” Malinowski said. “Voluma is designed to repair flattened or sagging cheeks and to instantly add volume to the middle of the face. Voluma XC can last for up to two years, with little to no downtime after the treatment.”

Juvéderm Vollure XC is the first and only hyaluronic acid dermal filler approved for the correction of moderate to severe wrinkles and folds (such as nasolabial folds) that lasts up to 18 months in people over the age of 21.

Juvéderm Volbella XC effectively increases lip fullness and softens the appearance of lines around the mouth in a majority of subjects through one year.

Kybella is a non-surgical injectable for reducing moderate to severe fat below the chin, the area commonly known as a “double chin.”

“The injection contains a naturally occurring substance in the body, deoxycholic acid, which helps the body absorb fat cells,” Malinowski said. “When properly injected, Kybella destroys fat cells.”

Eterna MedSpa & Laser Vein Center : 217 Vertin Boulevard, Shorewood, 60404 : 815.254.8888 : https://www.eternalaser.com/