Comparing procedures - Botox and fillers | What's better

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.

Anti-age

Laser, biorevitalization, fillers, peeling

Patient: Kristina Spivak

Year: 2018

Doctor: Marina Ratkevich, “Petrovka-Beauty”

Christina's impressions in 2022: Already sitting in the cosmetologist's chair, I was tormented by doubts and most of all I was afraid of a new face. Perhaps it will be young and beautiful - but not mine. Well, that didn't happen. I still have my face - only fresh, rosy, with smoothed skin, glowing and self-satisfied. And there wasn’t a person who, when meeting me, didn’t ask why I was so rested. In general, after 30 years it is better to save money on T-shirts and other clothes, that’s what I think now.

Christina’s opinion now: The effect lasted for six months. I really liked the fillers under the eyes and Botox: these injections really refreshed my face and got rid of the wrinkles on my forehead.

From material:

• The first total improvement: personal experience

Lifting + volume correction: Botox + plasma fillers

Patient: Yana Zubtsova

Year: 2018

Doctor: Elena Sibrina, clinic Dr. Meso

Yana's impressions in 2022: We spent a long time discussing with our photographers - did the light fall that way, or did the oval tighten up like that? They turned me around for a long time - towards the light - from the light - towards the light, after which they said: the light fell like that precisely because the oval had tightened. The line of the lower jaw has become more clearly defined, and now he will always fall this way. More than two weeks have passed since the shooting, the positive effect is only growing. When it starts to decline, I’ll go back to Dr. Elena Sibrina.

Yana’s opinion now: I just go to Sibrina all the time now. It’s not so important what she does on each specific visit - it’s one thing or another. I often don't even ask. It is important that there is always an effect. And I don’t believe in the rejuvenating apple that you bite once and you’re full for life.

From material:

• How to tighten the oval of the face with Botox, and what are plasmafillers? Personal experience

Lifting threads + fillers + Botox

Patient: Yana Zubtsova

Year: 2015

Doctor: Jean-Louis Seba

Yana’s impressions in 2015: Do I think that if you have the opportunity to get to Seba, it’s better to take it? Of course yes.

Yana’s opinion now: Seba is my idol, and the way he works with threads is top notch.

From material:

• Full tuning from Dr. Seb. Personal experience

Biorevitalization + Botox + photorejuvenation

Patient: Yana Zubtsova

Year: 2018

Doctor: Elena Sibrina, head physician of the Dr.Meso clinic.

Yana's impressions in 2022: Result after just one photorejuvenation session! I will continue, we will definitely do it a couple more times.

Yana's opinion now: See above - I just go to Lena Sibrina, and I will continue :)

From material:

• How to remove age spots and capillaries? Yana's personal experience

SPRS therapy

Patient: Yana Zubtsova

Year: 2015

Doctor: Svetlana Shokolova, RayLife Clinic

Yana's impressions in 2015: Yes, it works. Now I wake up almost without “sleep wrinkles”, no matter how much - and in what position - I sleep. The skin on the hands has also become denser - and does not dry out at all, even in the wind and cold.

Yana's opinion now: This is the coolest procedure that affects the quality of the skin that I have ever tried. And the most expensive. And the most painful. But, despite this, I am planning another meeting with my fibroblasts in the fall.

From material:

• Is SPRS therapy worth the money? Personal opinion

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.

Changing facial contours

Fighting a double chin: infrared laser, lipolytic, isometric gymnastics, radio wave lifting, mesothreads

Patient: Olya Tretyakova

Year: 2015 – 2016

Doctor: Oksana Chashchina, Fifth Element Clinic

Olya’s impressions in 2016: Her face looks simply wow! I never had such a clear oval face, not only in my youth, but never at all. The cheekbones became very clearly defined, the nasolabial folds became invisible, and the lips seemed to straighten and become fuller and smoother. All the torment was clearly not in vain!

Olya’s opinion now: I don’t think I’ve ever looked as healthy as I did during and immediately after that course. I would gladly repeat it - not even for the sake of a double chin, but simply to improve skin density and complexion.

From material:

• Down with the double chin. Part 3, final

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.

Fillers or Botox: what's the difference?

Botulinum toxin (Botox) is a medicine that, when injected into a muscle, prevents its movement or, more simply, temporarily “freezes” it, thereby preventing the appearance of new wrinkles and eliminating old ones. Botox was originally used to stop erratic twitching of the muscles around the eyes, however, doctors noticed that after Botox was administered, wrinkles around the eyes disappeared.

Dermal fillers fill facial wrinkles, make the face look fresher, add volume, and can even change the shape of the face.

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.

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.

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

Should I choose Botox or fillers?

Botox is useful for those who want to get rid of fine lines, crow's feet and deep wrinkles around the mouth, and Botox is also used to combat hyperhidrosis.

Dermal fillers are an effective means of removing wrinkles, age-related folds, and adding volume to the face. There are no known risks associated with Botox or dermal filler injections for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, but the procedure is not recommended during this period.