Comparing procedures - Botox and fillers | What's better

Update date: 08/30/2020 17:00:39 6778 Share:

Author: Kristina Gershevich

*Review of the best according to the editors of simplerule.ru. About the selection criteria. This material is subjective in nature, does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before purchasing, consultation with a specialist is required.

Botox or fillers – what to choose to eliminate wrinkles and other aesthetic defects? These drugs have different compositions and principles of action, so they are used to solve different cosmetic problems. Let's consider the features of Botox and fillers, indications for their use, advantages and disadvantages of these products.

Features of Botox rejuvenation

Botulinum therapy is a method of facial rejuvenation that involves injecting botulinum toxin (botulism neurotoxin type A) under the skin. In fact, it is a strong poison, but the one in the preparation is diluted 40,000 times. And in small doses it does not pose a danger to human health.

The effect of Botox is local - it affects the muscles located at the injection site. By acting on nerve endings, botulinum toxin stops the transmission of motor impulses to the brain, which causes temporary muscle paralysis. Relaxed muscles limit facial expressions, and the less facial expressions, the fewer wrinkles.

Temporary blocking of muscles with botulinum toxin reduces the expression of facial expressions, which helps smooth out existing wrinkles and slows down the appearance of new ones.

The effect of Botox develops in the first 2-3 days after the procedure, but fully manifests itself on days 10-14. Lasts 4-8 months - the period for maintaining the result is individual. The mobility of facial muscles returns gradually with the appearance of new processes of nerve endings. During the blockade period under the influence of Botox, muscle atrophy does not occur.

The botulinum therapy procedure itself lasts about 20 minutes and does not cause severe pain - only a slight tingling and tingling sensation at the injection sites. A specialist cosmetologist determines the necessary areas and makes injections in them. 10-200 units of botulinum toxin are administered in one session. The price of one unit is 300-600 rubles.

Botulinum toxins: composition, application features

Botox, the collective name for muscle relaxants, is considered the most popular product used in injection cosmetology. The substance is produced by isolating the botulism virus type A from bacteria.
The fraction is a protein substance that undergoes purification, stabilization, and drying. Albumin or gelatin sodium chloride is added to the resulting hemagglutinin.

Ready-made botulinum toxin is sold in the form of a lyophilisate (dry powder). To use the substance requires dissolution with sodium chloride in a certain proportion.

Botox is used to relax muscles. When the drug is administered, a local blocking of nerve impulses occurs, which makes it possible to immobilize a specific muscle. This allows you to provide motor rest to a separate area. In cosmetology, this property is used to temporarily eliminate wrinkles. Botox disrupts facial activity, which is recognized as the main cause of skin wrinkles.

Botox reliably eliminates wrinkles for 3-12 months. Modern drugs allow you to achieve a natural result that does not turn your face into a mask. The duration of retention of the effect depends on the dosage of the substance used, lifestyle, and characteristics of the body. Motor activity returns to the muscles gradually.

Note! The formation of new wrinkles occurs as facial expressions increase. In some cases (by controlling facial movements), the formation of wrinkles in certain places can be delayed or avoided.

Choosing Botox as a means of injection correction is recommended for those who have bright facial expressions. At the same time, complex age-related changes are invisible, and wrinkles are actively forming, disrupting aesthetic appeal.

Advantages and disadvantages of Botox

The method of facial skin rejuvenation using botulinum toxin injections until a few years ago was used mainly only by movie and show business stars. But now this procedure is popular among ordinary people, and both women and men resort to it. Botulinum therapy has a number of advantages compared to other methods of skin rejuvenation:

Advantages

• quick effect without surgery;
• no rehabilitation period - immediately after the injections you can lead a normal lifestyle without any restrictions;
• does not cause severe pain;
• should be repeated no more often than once every 6-10 months;
• the procedure takes no more than 15-20 minutes;
• prevents skin aging and the appearance of new deep expression wrinkles.

Flaws

• unnatural facial expressions are possible due to muscle weakness;
• unable to cope with deep folds;
• less pronounced and short-lasting effect in athletes.

Too high doses of the drug can cause ptosis (drooping eyelids, eyebrows, lips), difficulties with blinking, swallowing or chewing food, and a complete disturbance of facial expressions (mask effect). Moreover, correcting these changes is quite difficult.

Opinion of cosmetologists

Doctors actively use both versions of drugs in their work. Cosmetologists carry out prescriptions according to the situation: some patients are more suitable for botulinum toxin, for others modeling with hyaluronic gels. Sometimes a combination of techniques is indispensable. In this case, injections must be done sequentially.

The cosmetologist suggests using drugs to correct different areas.

The cosmetologist suggests sequential use of medications.

The cosmetologist offers an integrated approach.

Features of rejuvenation with fillers

The word filler comes from the English. infill, which means to fill. This is the essence of the method of rejuvenation using fillers - the correction of cosmetic skin defects using an injectable filler drug. Most often, hyaluronic acid or collagen is used, but fillers made from synthetic polymer gels or your own adipose tissue are sometimes used. Getting into the soft tissues, the filler has a lifting effect on the skin, fills wrinkles and folds, reducing visible manifestations. Often used to eliminate facial wrinkles.

Fillers are also used to add volume to soft tissues, to correct the shape of the lips, nose or chin, and for facial asymmetry. The procedure for introducing fillers under the skin in cosmetology is called filling. It is considered an alternative and safest option for contouring.

There are many types of fillers with different densities and active ingredient contents. The cosmetologist chooses the optimal drug depending on the area and the problems being solved. It is injected deep under the skin using a syringe with a microscopic needle or cannula. The procedure is quite painful and lasts about 30-40 minutes. With the introduction of biodegradable fillers (based on hyaluric acid and collagen), the result of skin rejuvenation lasts for 6-10 months. Silicone gels have a permanent effect.

The cost of filling depends on the amount of the drug injected and the correction zones, and therefore varies significantly. Price 1 ml from 3500 to 12000 rubles.

What are filler injections?

Preparations based on hyaluronic acid (dermal fillers) for contouring are a special gel that is injected under the skin. It has a dense consistency and replenishes the lost volume of a certain area of ​​the face, corrects asymmetry, and models the oval.

Often such correction is necessary due to age-related changes or due to genetic predisposition. Modern dermal fillers are absorbable (biodegradable). They are absorbed naturally in the body. We work with certified drugs - Juvederm, Neuramis.

The advantage of contouring is that hyaluronic acid preparations activate natural rejuvenation processes. They stimulate the production of natural collagen and elastin. After the manipulation, patients note that the skin has become more elastic, moisturized, and elastic. Duration of effect is up to 1 year. Then the procedure is repeated.

Hyaluronic acid is used to correct nasolabial and eyebrow folds and shape the oval of the face. It is also used to create the shape of the chin, cheekbones, and lip augmentation.

An alternative is facial lipofilling - natural rejuvenation through transplantation of your own adipose tissue. In addition, the transplanted fat contains stem cells, which serve as an additional source of rejuvenation.

Advantages and disadvantages of filling

It’s not for nothing that filler injections are called “beauty injections” - indeed, after the procedure, the face almost immediately takes on a fresh look, wrinkles, scars, scars and other imperfections on the face become invisible. Fillers not only rejuvenate the skin, but can also correct the anatomical shape of the nose, lips, cheekbones and chin. This is why filleting is so popular among women and men all over the world.

Advantages

• can be carried out at any time of the year - fillers do not increase the photosensitivity of the skin and do not provoke pigmentation;
• metabolic processes in the deep layers of the epidermis are activated, which has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin;
• the possibility of correcting the unsuccessful result of a previous procedure - repeated injection of fillers helps eliminate facial asymmetry.

Flaws

• the procedure is quite painful, and the use of anesthesia causes additional swelling in the facial area;
• long recovery period – up to 2 weeks;
• when an excessive amount of filler is introduced, the face or its elements may lose its anatomically correct shape and look unnatural;
• since filler is a foreign body, rejection and allergic reactions sometimes occur;
• synthetic fillers can migrate in facial tissues, cause skin inflammation and fibrosis - the growth of connective tissue with the appearance of scars;
• hyaluronic acid sometimes provokes the formation of benign tumors from adipose and connective tissue;
• If fillers are distributed incorrectly, lumps may form under the skin.

The introduction of fillers by certified cosmetologists reduces the risk of side effects. But it is impossible to completely insure against them. You need to carefully weigh the pros and cons before deciding to fill.

Why do nasolabial folds form?

Let's say right away: do not confuse a nasolabial fold with a skin crease - these are two similar, but different in genesis problems.

Nasolabial fold

Nasolabial folds, in fact, have been with us since childhood - they simply appear only during facial activity (for example, smiling).

The main and most common cause of the formation of a nasolabial fold is the overhang of the nasolabial fat packet diagonally from the nostrils to the corners of the mouth during facial activity - both in childhood and in adults.

If all the fat packets are in place , then in a calm state the folds are not visible. But with age, the nasolabial fat packet “slides” down, and it is this that forms the fold itself.

If nasolabial folds appear from a young age, the reason is still the same - hypertrophied volume of the nasolabial fat packet.

The main reason for the formation of nasolabial folds is overhanging fat bags, no matter what they tell you on the Internet! Not skin, not muscle, but a fat packet.

Yes, the problem can be aggravated by the anatomical structure (deep-set oral region, malocclusion), the activity of the zygomatic minor and major muscles (they are responsible for the smile), but the contribution of these factors to the formation of the fold itself is insignificant.

Nasolabial skin fold

But the crease on the skin is formed due to the active work of the zygomatic muscles!

Every time we smile, scream and other emotions, we develop nasolabial depression. The constantly “creased” skin in this area - like paper - can become wrinkled over time: a skin crease.

Young skin is elastic and elastic, which means it easily recovers from wrinkles, but after 30 years, the production of elastin and collagen slows down and skin turgor decreases. It is after 30 years a skin fold usually begins to form in the area of ​​the nasolabial fold .

A number of anatomical reasons - a narrow, long face, a deep-set oral area - contribute to the appearance of a crease, often without the appearance of the crease itself.

After 35-40 years, a combination of the fold itself (with an overhanging fat packet) and a skin crease is often observed.

Similarities and differences

Both Botox and fillers are actively used to rejuvenate facial skin, both among women and men. These methods have some similarities:

1. both are injectable - drugs are injected under the skin using a syringe with a very thin needle;
2. cannot be called completely safe for health - sometimes they cause complications and side effects;
3. in case of excessive administration of drugs, the face or some of its areas may look unnatural;
4. the rejuvenation effect lasts 8-10 months;
5. not recommended for people under 35 years of age and for the first acquaintance with injection rejuvenation.

Cosmetologists always advise starting to fight the first signs of facial skin aging with massages, peeling, mesotherapy or biorevitalization procedures. Botox and fillers are the heavier artillery that should be reserved for eliminating deep wrinkles and folds when other rejuvenation methods are no longer effective.

This is where the similarities between filling procedures and botulinum therapy end. There are much more differences between them:

1. different composition of injections;
2. the effect of Botox injections is based on temporary paralysis of the facial muscles, which leads to muscle relaxation and smoothing of shallow facial wrinkles, while fillers add volume and fill deep folds in the skin;
3. Botox does not affect the condition of the skin, the filler changes the volume and improves the condition of the epidermis;
4. Botox is used mainly to correct the upper area of ​​the face, fillers - any part;
5. the result of the filler injection procedure is noticeable immediately; after botulinum therapy, 10-14 days should pass for a visible effect;
6. filling can be used to correct lips, nose, and facial asymmetry, including in young people and girls;
7. botulinum therapy has a preventive effect - it reduces the formation of facial wrinkles in the future, however, the procedure is not carried out to prevent signs of skin aging, only to eliminate existing changes;
8. after the Botox procedure there are no restrictions and a long recovery period; after fillering, it is imperative to follow a number of restrictive measures for two weeks;
9. Botox injections are cheaper than fillers.

For a more clear comparison of the features, advantages and disadvantages of both methods, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the table.

Botox injections - indications, effectiveness

Botox is a weakened toxin that is injected subcutaneously to immobilize muscles and achieve an aesthetic effect. The substance, in the correct dosage and introduced into a certain area of ​​the face, does not harm the body, acts at the local level and is quickly eliminated from the body. The muscles are paralyzed, become immobile, and do not participate in facial expressions, but blood circulation and metabolic processes continue in them. The effect of the injections lasts from several months to a year. Problems that Botox helps fight:

1. Expression wrinkles, including those occurring in young women.
2. Increased facial muscle activity.
3. A gummy smile is an excessive exposure of gum tissue in the upper jaw.
4. Deep nasolabial folds.
5. Wrinkles on the forehead, under the eyes, in the neck and décolleté.
6. Congestion, tension in some areas of the face.
7. Drooping of the corners of the eyes.
8. Asymmetry of different areas of the face - eyelids, eyebrows, lips.
9. Strabismus.
10. Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating of the palms, soles, or armpits).
11. Involuntary spasms, contractions of facial muscle tissue.

You can prolong the results of Botox injections by following the recommendations of specialists. Immediately after the injections and for several days, you should not move actively, play sports, rub your face or injection sites, be exposed to high temperatures (sunbathe, visit a sauna or bathhouse, take hot baths), or drink alcohol. A few days after visiting a cosmetologist, you can begin to lead your usual lifestyle. But it should be borne in mind that everything related to improving blood circulation and restoring the function of the central nervous system leads to a reduction in the effect of botulinum therapy. Experts also warn that Botox should not be used:

1. Too often - the body gets used to the toxin and develops some immunity.
2. After 45 years - at this age the human body becomes too sensitive to botulinum toxin.
3. Using the services of an unqualified, inexperienced cosmetologist.

If there are contraindications, which include pregnancy and lactation, severe chronic or acute diseases, liver problems, damage to the skin in the affected area, taking antibiotics, etc. You can learn about all contraindications at a consultation with a cosmetologist who is licensed to perform such procedures.

Pros of Botox:

1. An alternative to plastic surgery in solving many aesthetic problems.
2. The procedure is almost completely painless. The finest needles are used, general anesthesia is not performed, and in case of increased skin sensitivity, the specialist uses an anesthetic drug.
3. Good digestibility, low likelihood of an allergic reaction.
4. Short rehabilitation period.
5. The visible result occurs 2-3 days after the injections.
6. Possibility to use the drug starting from 18 years of age.
7. Relative cheapness of the procedure.

Cons of Botox:

1. Botox is rarely used to correct defects in the lip area, which is due to the dense arrangement of different muscle fibers in this area.
2. Short term effect.
3. Some patients are or become immune to Botox.

The slightest mistake by a cosmetologist can cause serious disturbances in facial expressions and/or diction, the occurrence of asymmetries and imbalances, and other complications.

comparison table

What is better – Botox or solving aesthetic problems with fillers?

It is impossible to say with certainty which procedure is better, since, in fact, they have different purposes. Botox is used not so much for rejuvenation as for eliminating facial wrinkles and solving a number of problems related to muscle function. Fillers are used for rejuvenation, normalization of facial proportions, and healing of the skin from the inside.

Attention! This material is subjective in nature, does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before purchasing, consultation with a specialist is required.