Botox vs Cosmetic Injections
Cosmetic injection therapy has risen in popularity over the past few decades, and BOTOX® has been its poster child. But, BOTOX® isn’t the only injectable that can rid your face of the wrinkles and fine lines that inevitably accompany age. Cosmetic injections bestow a youthful appearance on their recipient, too! If you’re new to the world of injectables, a quick comparison of BOTOX® vs cosmetic injections can help you identify the right choice for your cosmetic goals!
What does BOTOX® do?
BOTOX® reduces or eliminates the appearance of deep, dynamic wrinkles caused by years of repetitive facial expressions, such as those deeper lines on the forehead, in between the eyes, and sometimes at the corners of the eyes. BOTOX® is also sometimes used to relax muscles that pull down on the face, for instance those in the neck and can even be used in more creative ways, such as to strategically lift and shape the eyebrows or even to alleviate migraines!
How does BOTOX® do it?
In medicine, BOTOX®, or Botulinum toxin, is sometimes used as a neurotoxin when it’s injected into specific areas of the body for the purpose of blocking nerve action, such as to relax spasms in the eye or another hyperactive muscle. When applied in facial aesthetics, BOTOX® uses the same muscle relaxing properties to smooth dynamic wrinkles in the face and sometimes neck and/or chest. Blocked nerve signals create a paralysis of the muscle underlying a given wrinkle. Once the muscle is frozen, dynamic wrinkles are reduced and sometimes disappear entirely, as their inciting cause (a.k.a. the muscle’s ability to flex, which would cause a creasing of the skin) is eliminated.
What do dermal injections do?
First, it’s important to realize that cosmetic injections come in many different varieties, each with its own objective and effects. Collagen and hyaluronic acid are the two most popular cosmetic injections, and both are used to treat static, fine wrinkles—the kind that are still present even when your face is relaxed. Cosmetic injections literally fill static facial lines in around the mouth, eyebrows, cheeks, and forehead. This revitalizes the skin, restoring its natural, youthful appearance.
How do dermal injections do it?
Cosmetic injections are designed to add volume to tissues. Instead of freezing muscle, collagen injections plump up the tissue underneath static wrinkles and help to stimulate the body‘s natural production of collagen in areas where it has depleted over time. Similarly, hyaluronic acid
injections plump and hydrate your skin and lips by trapping water molecules beneath its surface.
How long will the effects last?
The effects of each treatment last for varying lengths of time. Collagen injections can last up to four months. The results of Botox usually last between four and six months. And, hyaluronic acid injections can last from 6 to 12 months!
Key Takeaways:
BOTOX® treats deeper, dynamic wrinkles created by repetitively making facial expressions...while cosmetic injections treat fine, static wrinkles that are present even when the face is relaxed.
BOTOX® freezes muscles, inhibiting facial movement and producing dramatic, notable results...while dermal injections provide subtler, more natural results by plumping up the skin and replacing the volume and elasticity it loses as a natural part of life.
The comparison between BOTOX® and cosmetic injections is not apples to apples. Both have the goal of facial rejuvenation, but, whereas BOTOX® paralyzes the muscles surrounding wrinkles, cosmetic injections work by filling in the tissue and wrinkle itself. If you want to relax deep expression lines, BOTOX® will help with that; if your goal is to hydrate and plump your face overall, cosmetic injections are the way to go. Whichever facial rejuvenation method(s) you choose, the most important decision you make is--who's going to be at the other end of the injection needle!? Make sure you connect with an experienced dermatologist or practitioner who will discuss your expectations and desires up front, accounting for them in her or his clinical recommendation and expertly administering the therapy(ies) you ultimately choose.
