Contents
*Overview of the best according to the editors of Healthy Food Near Me. About selection criteria. This material is subjective, is not an advertisement and does not serve as a guide to the purchase. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.
Botox or fillers – what to choose to eliminate wrinkles and other aesthetic defects? These drugs have a different composition and principle of action, so they are used to solve various cosmetic problems. Consider the features of Botox and fillers, indications for their use, the advantages and disadvantages of these funds.
Name of the drug | Advantages | Disadvantages |
Botox | + Eliminates mimic wrinkles, asymmetry, strabismus. + It is relatively inexpensive. + Can be used from 18 years of age. | – Not recommended for use on the lower third of the face. – A beautician’s mistake can negatively affect the ability to facial expressions. – Injections are rarely used for women over 45 years of age. |
Fillers | + Wide range of applications. + Sufficiently safe composition. + Fillers with HA and collagen heal the skin. + Low risk of complications and side effects. + Instant results. | – The effect lasts 6-12 months. – Do not eliminate mimic and deep age wrinkles. |
Botox injections – indications, effectiveness
Botox is a weakened toxin that is injected subcutaneously in order to immobilize the muscles and get an aesthetic effect. The substance in the correct dosage and introduced into a certain area of the face does not harm the body, acts locally and is quickly excreted from the body. Muscles are paralyzed, become motionless, do not participate in facial expressions, but blood circulation and metabolic processes continue in them. The effect of injections lasts from several months to a year. Problems that Botox helps to fight:
Mimic wrinkles, including those that occur in young women.
Increased mimic activity of facial muscles.
A gingival smile is an excessive exposure of the gum tissue in the region of the upper jaw.
Deep nasolabial folds.
Wrinkles on the forehead, under the eyes, in the neck and décolleté.
Stagnation, tension in some areas of the face.
Omission of the corners of the eyes.
Asymmetry of different areas of the face – eyelids, eyebrows, lips.
Strabismus.
Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating of the hands, feet, or armpits).
Involuntary spasms, contractions of the muscle tissue of the face.
You can prolong the result of Botox injections if you follow the recommendations of specialists. Immediately after injections and for several days, you can not actively move, play sports, rub your face or injection sites, be exposed to high temperatures (sunbathe, visit a sauna or bath, take hot baths), drink alcohol. A few days after visiting the beautician, you can begin to lead a familiar lifestyle. But it should be borne in mind that everything related to improving blood circulation, restoring the function of the central nervous system, leads to a reduction in the effect of botulinum therapy. Experts also warn that Botox should not be used:
Too often – the body gets used to the toxin, develops some immunity.
After 45 years – at this age the human body becomes too sensitive to botulinum toxin.
Using the services of an unskilled, inexperienced beautician.
If there are contraindications, which include pregnancy and lactation, severe chronic or acute diseases, liver problems, damage to the skin in the affected area, taking antibiotics, etc. You can find out about all contraindications at the consultation of a cosmetologist who is licensed to carry out such procedures.
Pros of Botox:
An alternative to plastic surgery in solving many aesthetic problems.
Almost complete painless procedure. The thinnest needles are used, general anesthesia is not done, with increased skin sensitivity, the specialist uses an anesthetic drug.
Good digestibility, low probability of an allergic reaction.
Short rehabilitation period.
A visible result occurs 2-3 days after the injection.
The ability to use the drug, starting from 18 years.
Relative cheapness of the procedure.
Cons of Botox:
Botox is rarely used to eliminate defects in the lip area, which is associated with a dense arrangement of different muscle fibers in this area.
Short term effect.
Some patients have or become immune to Botox.
The slightest mistake of a cosmetologist can cause serious violations of facial expressions and / or diction, the occurrence of asymmetries and imbalances, and other complications.
Fillers – concept, composition, indications, effectiveness of injections
Fillers are special fillers that are injected into the epidermal layer in the same way as Botox – through injections. The needles used are as thin as in the botulinum therapy procedure. But the resulting effect is different. The difference lies in the composition of the injections. If Botox (preparations based on it) is used during botulinum therapy, and only paralysis of muscle tissue occurs, then in the case of fillers, various cocktails, combinations of natural and / or synthetic substances can be used. Accordingly, the nature of the effect of fillers and the problems that can be solved with their help differ.
All fillers or fillers can be conditionally classified into several large groups:
Fillers based on hyaluronic acid. HA is a substance familiar to the human body, it is not toxic, it is not rejected by the body, even if it is obtained from plant or animal biological material. HA is perfectly absorbed and performs the function of moisturizing tissues, maintaining water balance, replenishing fluid reserves in the epidermis. Hyaluronic acid, introduced during the injection process, stimulates the production of its own HA, collagen, and elastin. Therefore, this drug helps to fight the symptoms of aging, improves skin turgor and elasticity, and helps smooth out age-related wrinkles.
Fillers, which contain chemicals that are biocompatible with the human body, but not produced by the body in the process of life. These are fillers based on calcium hydroxyapatite or polylactic acid and other chemical compounds. Such substances also affect the state of cells, improve the structure of the skin, stimulate the development of regenerative and regenerative processes, nourish tissues, intensify the synthesis of elastic proteins and in every possible way contribute to the restoration of the normal structure of the skin.
Fillers based on collagen – donor or obtained from the biological material of the patient himself. Donor collagen is, of course, worse. There is a possibility of rejection of the substance, the occurrence of other side effects. Collagen synthesized from the client’s skin cells is better and safer, it is practically an autograft, but its production is more expensive. The third type of collagen for fillers is extracted from the cells of an animal (pork, bovine) organism. The advantages of this substance are the relative cheapness and safety of use, the low probability of rejection by the human body.
Fillers with a protein or vitamin cocktail, a variety of patented formulas with healing and / or rejuvenating properties. The spectrum of action of such drugs is extensive. Manufacturers promise to improve the condition of the skin, eliminate various aesthetic defects – from scars and post-acne scars to wrinkles and enlarged pores. If such a cocktail is produced by a reliable cosmetic company, the effect is really there and it is complex, although it can be rather weakly expressed.
Now it is rare to find a filling procedure using the client’s own subcutaneous fat, but not so long ago it was a fairly common method of improving appearance and rejuvenation. Fat cells perfectly filled the voids, restored tissue elasticity, made sunken cheeks puffy, cheekbones gracefully outlined, and contributed to smoothing flabby and wrinkled aging skin. Subcutaneous fat, which was transplanted from one zone to another within the same organism, could not cause harm and cause allergies, rejection. But now this filling method is being replaced by newer, more modern ones. For example, to fill the missing tissue volume, bioindegradable fillers that are not excreted from the body can be used. They are made from synthetic polymer gels and are well tolerated by the body.
Based on the data on the substances that may be part of the fillers, we can conclude on the indications for cosmetic procedures with their use:
The need for skin rejuvenation and smoothing wrinkles (not mimic, age, not too deep).
Elimination of acne, comedones and enlarged pores; normalization of the function of the sebaceous glands.
Normalization of the hydro-lipid balance of the skin.
Elimination of scars and scars, including traces of post-acne.
Normalization of the relief and structure, skin tone, improvement of the appearance of stressed skin.
Feeding tissues that are deficient in vitamins and other nutrients.
Prevention of the onset of symptoms of aging, prevention of age-related changes in the skin of the face.
Correction of the shape, volume of different parts/zones of the face, filling in empty spaces.
Are fillers universal? No, they differ not only in composition, but also in the size of the particles of the solution, and hence in the field of application. This is a fundamental criterion for choosing fillers for correction, since the density of the substance depends on the size of the dissolved particles of the active components. The densest fillers are suitable for injection into the cheekbones and chin area. The most liquid, plastic, fluid fillers are used for correction in the eyes and lips.
Filler pros:
A wide range of drugs with a variety of composition.
Biodegradable fillers based on collagen, vitamin cocktails and hyaluronic acid intensify tissue metabolism, improve the condition and appearance of the skin.
The ability to eliminate many aesthetic problems, from acne to signs of skin aging, without resorting to the services of a plastic surgeon.
Low risk of developing any complications.
The result is visible immediately after the introduction of fillers, after the swelling passes, the result improves.
Cons of fillers:
Some people still have a negative reaction to the introduction of fillers. There may be pain and itching, severe swelling, bruising and even scarring.
Fillers are effective for an average of 6-12 months, after which you need to repeat the cosmetic procedure.
Fillig should only be done by an experienced specialist. If the cosmetologist incorrectly calculates the dose, injects an excessive amount of the product, the anatomical structures of the face will lose their natural volume, shape, and symmetry.
Which is better – Botox or the solution of aesthetic problems with fillers?
It is impossible to say with accuracy which procedure is better, since, in fact, they have a different purpose. Botox is used not so much for rejuvenation as to eliminate mimic wrinkles and solve a number of problems associated with muscle function. Fillers are used to rejuvenate, normalize the proportions of the face, improve the skin from the inside.
Attention! This material is subjective, is not an advertisement and does not serve as a guide to the purchase. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.