Everything You Need to Know About Botox and Dermal Fillers

How long do Dermal Fillers last?

It depends on how your body reacts and which hyaluronic acid is used, but most dermal fillers will last between 9 to 24 months.

Do Dermal Fillers have side effects?

As with any injectable aesthetic treatment, there is a small risk of a patient experiencing side effects post-treatment with dermal fillers. Many patients experience minor bleeding at the injection site, often followed by temporary and minor swelling, bruising, redness, and soreness of the treatment site. However, these symptoms are usually not serious and should resolve on their own.

What is the difference between Botox® and Dermal Fillers? 

There is a significant difference between Botox and fillers.

Botox stops the small muscles in your face from making the movements that cause wrinkles, whilst dermal fillers plump from below the wrinkle to smooth them out and promote a youthful look.

Let’s look at the key elements of wrinkle relaxing injections...

How does this treatment work?

Botulinum Toxin is injected into the facial muscles and blocks the flow of chemical messages from the nerve to the muscle, causing the muscle to contract. Without these chemical messages, the muscle stays in a resting state temporarily (usually for between 8 and 12 weeks) until the flow of these messages is restored when new nerve endings are naturally produced by the body.

Botulinum toxin helps to significantly reduce the movement of the muscles that cause expression lines (or 'dynamic' facial wrinkles). It may not cause existing expression lines to disappear completely as this depends on the overall quality and condition of your skin, and it is not a suitable treatment option for lines and wrinkles that are present without facial movement - in both of these cases, your practitioner will advise you of the most appropriate course of action to tackle these particular skincare concerns. 

Wrinkle relaxing treatments of this nature are not a 'one-size-fits-all' treatment, and it is important to seek advice from your aesthetic practitioner to discuss your needs and requirements prior to the administration of any treatment.

Injections in different areas and with different quantities of toxin can produce different effects in terms of the reduction of dynamic facial movement, so always trust an experienced medical professional to tailor a treatment to your unique and specific needs.

Wrinkle relaxing treatments usually take around 30 minutes to complete. Results are usually noticeable between two and five days after treatment but can take up to two weeks for the final look to be achieved.

Botulinum Toxin is gradually removed naturally by your body and usually, the treatment will need to be repeated every three to six months. 

Wrinkle relaxing injections are so effective that around 90% of people who try them decide to have more treatments once the effects begin to wear off.

Whatever your concerns or objectives, why not book a consultation with an experienced practitioner to find out the best approach for you.

This is an essential precursor to treatment and I would never treat a patient without first completing a thorough assessment of your skin and taking a full medical history.

Not all products are right for everyone and it is important to understand what each client is trying to achieve and identify any contra-indications before recommending a particular treatment.