Botox® vs. Filler: What Is the Difference?

What’s the difference between Botox® and fillers? If you’ve asked yourself this question, you’re not alone. Many people talk about them as if they were interchangeable – but they’re not. Both are good options for treating different types of aesthetic problems, and they should not be compared.

Botox® and dermal fillers have different functions. They are designed to treat different areas of the face. Here’s the basic difference between the two. Botox® relaxes muscle movements that contract to produce wrinkles. Dermal fillers replace lost volume, occupying the space where the wrinkle has formed.

About Botox®

Botox® is a muscle relaxer that is made from bacteria. It works to relax the muscles that deepen wrinkles. It will not add volume. The best use for Botox® is in the upper part of the face – it reduces wrinkles in the forehead and around the eyes. It is a quick and effective treatment for crow’s feet around the eyes, horizontal worry lines on the forehead and vertical frown lines between the eyebrows. Botox® is not used for fine lines caused by collagen breakdown.

Botox® is FDA-approved and safe for cosmetic use. The effects are clinically proven to last about six months. The injections take no more than an hour or so to complete, making this procedure one of the most convenient and popular cosmetic treatments available.

About Dermal Fillers

Unlike Botox®, dermal fillers have no muscle relaxing effect. Instead, they are used to add volume to deep wrinkles and to the volume-depleted areas of the face. While Botox® is used in the upper part of the face, fillers are used in the lower part of the face – in the cheeks, the nasal-labial folds and around the mouth. Dermal fillers can also be injected into the lips to add fullness.

There are different types of fillers, including Juvederm® and Restylane®, both of which contain hyaluronic acid, a substance your body naturally produces. Dermal fillers show immediate results with some improvement over time. Also, the results of fillers will last longer than Botox® results. On average, fillers can last up to one or two years, depending on the type of filler that is being used.

Call Our Office to Learn More

To learn more about Botox® and dermal fillers, contact us for more information or to schedule a consultation. BEYOND Collective serves patients in Nashville, Brentwood, Hendersonville, Franklin, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, Lebanon and across Tennessee.