Botox and Dermal Fillers
Why we use them
Most people use Botox to freeze the areas creating wrinkles on the 3 zones of the face. The forehead, the crows feet around the eyes and between the eyebrows. Dermal fillers are used to pad out areas like smile lines between the noes and mouth, deep forehead wrinkles and face contouring. Depending on your age and how much you want treated a combination of both Botox and dermal fillers should give the best results.
What is Botox
Cosmetic Botox injections are used in the reduction of motion wrinkles usually on the face, particularly in the forehead crow's feet and vertical wrinkles of your upper lip. Botox can also help with smile lines but these are usually treated by dermal fillers.
How and why does it work?
Botox contains a complex toxin called "Botulinum toxin type A" which is a neurotoxin protein derived from the bacteria "Clostridium Botulinum" a paralysing agent and currently thought to be one of the most lethal naturally occurring substances known to science. It is injected directly into the nerves forming the wrinkles and prevents them from communicating with the muscle cells thereby rendering the muscle unable to contract.
How long does it last
Once the nerve endings are paralysed it is then dependant on how long your body takes to make new nerves this should take anywhere from 3 to 4 months.
How much does it cost
Treatment is set out in areas, i.e. forehead or eyes and can cost anywhere between £100 to £200 for a single area so it is well worth shopping around especially if you want more than one area treated.
What are Dermal Fillers
Dermal fillers are an injectable solutions which effectively pad the area under the skin treated. They are used to treat wrinkles, volume loss, sunken cheeks, lip enhancements and smile lines.
There are several types of dermal fillers used in the UK the majority being temporary lasting around six to nine months, although there are permanent fillers out there too.
Temporary fillers are made up of synthetic materials there are three main types
Collagen stimulators like Sculptra – which encourage the body to produce its own collagen and contain poly-l-lactic acid, these are used for addressing skin texture increasing volume and padding fine lines and wrinkles
Calcium Hydroxylapatite like Radiesse – is a long lasting dermal filler used primarily to treat the deep nose to mouth lines, it can also be used to reshape the noes and contour the face
Hyaluronic acid like Juvéderm – are a flexible option used to reshape the face and are a very flexible filler as they come in different levels of thickness to treat different areas of the face
Permanent fillers can be used but are not the option of choice because they can last up to ten years and the face changes with age.
How much does it cost
It is more difficult to assess the costs involved due to the differing cost of brands but in general dermal fillers are a bit more expensive than Botox but in general it will cost about £300 plus for a single area, as with Botox it is best to shop around but it is also better to have a consultation on which one type.