With so many injectables on the market, it can be tough to keep track of what is what. However, knowing the difference can impact your overall look. Even when injectables share the same active ingredient, as with dermal fillers, their consistency may differ, leading to different uses.
Juvederm® is a dermal filler made from hyaluronic acid, a natural substance found in your skin, eyes, joints, and many other tissues in your body. Botox®, on the other hand, is made from a purified neurotoxin. The two are not interchangeable, as each serves a different purpose. More often than not, however, they can get combined for superior results.
To help you get a better understanding of these two injectables, we asked our expert, Dr. Scott Beeve of Beeve Vision Care Center, to explain what Juvederm and Botox do and when he should recommend them.
Juvederm is a dermal filler, and its primary purpose is to restore lost volume that’s associated with growing older. It can also add fullness to areas such as the lips or cheeks, even in the absence of aging signs, for the purpose of enhancing volume.
Dermal fillers focus on replacing lost volume, but they can also improve the appearance of wrinkles, as volume loss can cause the face to wrinkle.
Botox, on the other hand, has a different mechanism of action. It targets lines caused by muscle movement. As we age, we lose elasticity in the skin, and the first signs of aging often appear in areas with frequent movement, such as the forehead, between the brows, and around the eyes.
People who smoke may also develop smoker’s lines around the mouth due to the repetitive pursing of the lips. Botox can address these, which works by temporarily relaxing the underlying muscles and preventing the skin from wrinkling.
Dermal filler results typically last longer. Depending on the type of filler, results can last anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. Hyaluronic acid-based fillers also have the benefit of being reversible — they can be dissolved with a special enzyme if you don’t like the results.
Improvements are almost immediate, becoming visible a few days after any initial redness and swelling subside and the filler settles.
Botox has a shorter duration, lasting between three and six months. It also takes a little time to see results, usually about two weeks for the treated muscles to relax and for lines to soften.
Whether you want to add volume to your lips or cheeks or reduce the appearance of fine lines, injectables are one of the most effective first-line treatments for non-invasive cosmetic concerns.
If you have questions about achieving your aesthetic goals, contact us to schedule an appointment at our office in Glendale, California.
Our experts can guide you in selecting the injectables that best work to meet your needs and recommend the correct dosages for safe, natural-looking results.
