Both Botox and dermal fillers are efficient treatments in contemporary aesthetic medicine. Being mainly applied in the procedures that take care of your skin, plump your lips, or smooth your wrinkles, the preparations might not only enhance your natural beauty but also assist you in maintaining a youthful appearance.
Since both Botox treatment and dermal filler injections are widely spread all around the globe, they are constantly compared and contrasted. Dermatologists and their patients keep asking the following questions: Are dermal fillers and Botox similar? What are the main differences between them? How much do they cost? What are they used for? And, finally, what is better, Botox or a dermal filler?
Want to find answers to the questions that are mentioned above? Simply keep reading the article!
What Is Botox?
Botox is a brand of preparation that is widely applied in medicine. The main component of Botox is Botulinum toxin, which is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. On the one hand, it causes botulism and is thus pretty dangerous. On the other hand, however, it might be really beneficial for your body once injected as a part of Botox therapy. Click here to learn more about Botox.
Being mainly used in body and facial treatment, Botox injections have a number of effects, such as:
- Botox smoothes dynamic wrinkles (like lines around the eyes or around the mouth) that usually occur either due to active facial expressions or the aging process;
- As well, Botox treatments relax your facial muscles (like the muscle that leads to the appearance of wrinkles in your forehead or crow’s feet) and relieve the muscle movement;
- Once Botox is injected, it treats spasms within your body (like a neck spasm, for example);
- Finally, injections of Botox might help with excessive sweating.
Speaking about the possible side effects of Botox, it is essential to enumerate the following ones:
- Pain in your head, neck, back, arms, legs, or eyes;
- Difficult swallowing;
- Typical symptoms of the flu (such as fever, blocked nose, coughing, etc.);
- Extreme muscle weakness.
What Are Dermal Fillers?
Similar to Botox, a dermal filler is a preparation that is used in aesthetic medicine. Despite the fact that dermal fillers might consist of different active components, hyaluronic acid (HA) is usually the most common one. The main advantage of HA is that it is a natural and, thus, safe substance that is produced within the human body.
There are several types of dermal fillers such as Juvederm, Radiesse, Aquamid, and many other that are available on the market these days. If you want to read more about dermal filler click here. Each type of filler that is mentioned above is primarily used in the aesthetic treatment and leads to the following effects:
- It flattens static wrinkles (such as lines across your cheeks, wrinkles around the corners of your lips, or the ones along your neck);
- Fillers also reduce the appearance of scars on your face or neck;
- Apart from treating wrinkles and scars, injections of dermal fillers are efficient in the treatment of your face’s lost volume. This way, they are capable of lifting the surface of your skin;
- Ultimately, a dermal filler like Juvederm is applied in plumping your lips by adding some extra volume to them.
The most common for dermal filler treatments side effects include the following:
- Pain, bruising, or redness on the area of the injection;
- A possibility of the substance being felt under your skin.
In some rare cases, dermal fillers might also cause scarring or vision problems.
What Are the Similarities Between Botox and Dermal Fillers?
Botox and fillers have a number of similarities, namely:
- They both are applied in aesthetic medicine to smooth facial fine lines and wrinkles. Therefore, both fillers and Botox injections are commonly used to treat the signs of aging;
- The working principle of both treatments is quite similar: A certain preparation starts acting after it is injected beneath the surface of your skin. Thus, the treatment is minimally invasive in both cases;
- Both Botox and fillers provide you with quick results that become visible within a time period of two weeks.
This way, Botox and fillers are used to treat similar issues by means of the alike working principles. They both improve the general condition of your skin and fight the signs of aging with the help of injections.
Dermal Fillers vs Botox: What Are the Main Differences?
Now, let’s move to the differences between Botox and fillers:
- Probably the main difference between Botox and a dermal filler is the main substance each of them is based on. While Botox preparations employ botulinum toxin as their main component, dermal fillers might consist of different substances, such as hyaluronic acid;
- Despite the fact that both Botox and fillers are used to treat age-related changes in your body, they are applied to different types of wrinkles. Botox works better with dynamic wrinkles (such as crow’s feet), and a filler is efficiently applied for static wrinkles. Therefore, the areas of the face both preparations treat are slightly different;
- As well, the treatment with the help of Botox has its own unique sphere of usage, just like fillers do. For instance, Botox is uniquely applied in relaxing muscles and treating spasms, while a filler injection is frequently used to add volume to your face or lips;
- Botox side effects are similar but not identical if compared to the ones of fillers. In particular, Botox might cause an extreme relaxation of your muscles while filler treatments do not normally lead to such side effects;
- The cost for Botox therapy is lower if compared to the one for fillers. Typically, you can treat one area with Botox for $250-600 while the same treatments with fillers cost around $600-1,250;
- The duration of both preparations is also different: Usually, the results from fillers last longer than the ones from Botox. When being more precise, you might see the effect from fillers for the time period from 9 months to 2 years, while Botox will last from 3 to 4 months.
As you have probably noticed, the list of Botox vs fillers differences is pretty extensive. So, it is essential to take it into account when choosing the most suitable solution for you.
A Bottom Line
All in all, the question of which preparation is better, the one that applies Botox or filler injection, is very subjective. While each therapy has its own strengths and weaknesses, the best treatment will totally depend on your particular case, including your current skin condition. Therefore, it would be preferable to consult with your doctor while choosing between Botox and fillers.
Remember, no matter what solution you choose, it will enhance your beauty and prolong your youthful appearance!
Rhydian Choi 
Kim Marks 
Nicola Holder