Trying to decide between Botox® Cosmetic or dermal fillers? You’re not alone, as these two minimally invasive aesthetic categories combined for nearly 18 million procedures across the country in 2024.
Wellness includes how you feel about yourself and your appearance, so it’s important that you make the right decisions toward your aesthetic goals. At ThriveOB and Women's Wellness in Barrington, Illinois, we’re committed to our partnership with you.
Let’s look at both Botox and dermal fillers and their abilities and applications to help you make the right choice for you.
Though both Botox and dermal fillers are injectable treatments, the similarities end once they’re in place under your skin. The fundamental difference between the two is that Botox uses an active ingredient to effect its changes, while dermal fillers play a passive support role.
Botox contains a neuromodulator, a substance that changes the way nerves work in your body. Originally developed to treat eye muscle spasms, Botox works by limiting the contractions of muscles into which it’s injected.
On your face, that means there’s a solution to a common problem with aging. Expression lines are dynamic wrinkles that form when underlying muscles remain partially contracted, never fully relaxing.
Strategic injections of Botox relax these muscles, smoothing the appearance of your skin. Botox treats horizontal lines on your forehead, vertical lines between the eyes, and crow’s feet laugh lines beside the eyes, reducing the depth of creases formed by muscle contraction.
You still retain the ability to smile and express yourself. Post-Botox, your face simply relaxes when it should.
As the name suggests, fillers stand in for lost tissue in your face. The middle layer of your skin slowly loses collagen as you age, causing volume loss and voids beneath the surface, which in turn lead to lines, wrinkles, and a loss of youthful fullness.
Fillers are gels made from biocompatible substances like synthetic hyaluronic acid, a common protein that’s naturally widespread throughout your body. We use a range of filler products, each with its own applications and characteristics.
Some fill voids, reducing the appearance and depth of wrinkles, while others spread and replace volume over a wider area, such as in the cheeks.
Do you have a combination of problems, such as laugh lines and lost cheek plumpness? Not only can you receive both Botox and a filler, but you can also do so in the same appointment.
The nature of each treatment is unique, so there’s no interference between injections, which also target different depths as well as tissues. If it’s right for you, we can combine Botox and fillers in one session.
The process begins in consultation with ThriveOB and Women's Wellness. Call our appointment hotline at 847-868-2908 to book your visit today.
