As a cosmetic dentistry office on Long Island, our East Islip office made the decision a little over a year ago to expand our facial enhancement services and beginning offering botox injections and dermal fillers to our patients. As a cosmetic dentist, Dr. Navarro has the unique ability to understand the inner workings of facial beauty, so he was a perfect candidate to begin administering botox injections and dermal fillers. Many times, however, patients ask to explain the difference between to two, so we thought it prudent to take some time to distinguish the two different treatment options.
While both used for facial enhancement and beautification, Botox Cosmetic® and dermal fillers are two completely different methods of treatment when it comes to reducing wrinkles, frown lines, and other problems.
Botox Cosmetic® (onabotulinumtoxinA injection) is a muscle paralysis agent, a neurotoxin, that is used in the treatment of dynamic lines. Dynamic lines are wrinkles on your faced caused by the movement of the muscles in your face. Through temporarily paralyzing these muscles, Botox injections are able to relax them, and by extension, release the tension behind these lines, leading to their softening. The full effects of Botox are apparent in about two weeks, but it is our experience that our patients see immediate visible results directly following treatment. Generally speaking, Botox injection patients should follow up for further treatment every three months to maintain the youthful look.
Unlike Botox Cosmetic®, dermal filler is not a single type of product. There are many types and brands of dermal fillers, that vary in potency, duration, and viscosity. Dr. Navarro will best prescribe a brand based on your needs when you visit our East Islip office for dermal filler injections. Some of the types of filler brands we use include Juvederm, Radiesse, Voluma, and Belotero. Dermal fillers also function differently than Botox in how they treat your face and improve your youthful look and beauty. Dermal fillers treat static lines, which are the lines on your face that have naturally occurred on your face as a result of age or external forces. Dermal fillers increase your facial volume, softening wrinkles and folds. Depending on the type of filler used, the results can last from 6-12 months.
Botox injections and dermal fillers, while individual treatments, can be used in conjunction with one another to create beautiful and lasting effects. Many of our patients opt to utilize both methods of treatment to improve their beauty and youthful look. The AAFE has more info on the different types of fillers and reasons to consider Botox injections.
