Should I Reduce Wrinkles with Botox®, Dermal Fillers, or Both?

Anyone looking for minimally invasive, wrinkle-reducing, anti-aging treatments in the Naples, Florida, area has two primary choices: injectable dermal fillers or Botox®. When given these options, most patients who consult with the plastic surgeons at Southwest Florida’s Naples Plastic Surgery ask, “So, do I need Botox®, fillers, or both? What is the best anti-aging option?”

The answer to this question is generally patient-specific and depends on the patient’s skin features and anti-aging goals. Botox® is most effective at treating dynamic wrinkles and lines on the face. Dermal fillers work best at restoring volume, which can decrease the appearance of aging-induced lines, creases, folds, and hollows. With extensive experience successfully using Botox® and dermal fillers to correct signs of aging on their Naples-area patients, our plastic surgeons offer you this detailed examination of both options.

An Insight into Botox®

FDA-approved for cosmetic use in 2002 after extensive clinical studies, Botox® contains a neurotoxin—botulinum neurotoxin type A—that blocks nerve signals regulating muscle contraction. The ensuing muscle relaxation eases the tension responsible for formulating wrinkles and lines within the overlying skin. This helps diminish the depth and appearance of dynamic wrinkles that develop over time due to repeated facial expressions and helps smooth the surrounding skin and alleviate some adjacent static wrinkles.

Patients seeking a minimally invasive anti-aging treatment in Naples typically rely on Botox® to help diminish the appearance of forehead lines, glabellar frown lines, and crow’s feet. Younger patients increasingly use Botox® as a preventative treatment to relax facial muscles before they’ve had time to form deep-seated dynamic wrinkles. Botox can also be used to soften wrinkles around the mouth and chin, elevate the corners of the mouth, and weaken the muscles that cause jaw clenching and temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) pain. It can even be used for people who suffer from excess sweating!

Injectable Botox® treatments can be conducted in under 20 minutes with minimum discomfort and no downtime. Patients typically start noticing age-defying results within three to five days and optimal line and wrinkle diminishment within ten days to two weeks. Treatment results can last up to three to four months before the body naturally starts to metabolize the neurotoxin, allowing for greater muscle contraction and a slow return of the wrinkles and lines. To prevent this, many patients schedule regular maintenance treatments every few months.

Understanding Dermal Fillers

To understand dermal fillers, consider the name: “dermal” pertains to the skin, and “fillers” plump up the skin to restore lost volume, whether within wrinkles, lines, creases, folds, or hollowing. Most dermal fillers are formulated with hyaluronic acid, which boosts and maintains skin volume by helping retain moisture and encourages a smoother skin surface. Dermal fillers can address numerous volume-related skin concerns, with different formulations tailored to target distinct volume loss issues. Patients also rely on them to cosmetically enhance features, like lips, cheekbones, deep wrinkles and folds around the mouth, jawlines, and hands.

Naples Plastic Surgery specializes in providing patients with these dermal fillers in Naples:

Juvederm®—this collection of fillers serves as a multipurpose dermal correction treatment, targeting all types of wrinkles, lines, creases, and folds, and recognized for its skin smoothing properties. Some formulations in the collection are also tailored for skin contouring of the chin and jawline.

Restylane®—this versatile collection of formulations can also target volume-loss issues around the mouth and effectively restore volume loss throughout the face. They can be used for lip enhancement, cheek augmentation, chin correction, and adjusting other facial contours to sculpt a more symmetric profile.

Radiesse®—helps fill moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds and is particularly effective at reducing the appearance of nasolabial folds (smile lines) and other wrinkles and lines around the mouth. It can also help with “crepiness” of the skin in areas such as the cheeks and décolletage. The filler is also a go-to treatment for restoring volume loss in the hands to make them look more youthful.

As with Botox®, our bodies metabolize the active ingredients over time, allowing the volume loss to return gradually. In general, the effectiveness of these dermal filler injections can last anywhere from six to 12 months, depending on the formulation used. Like Botox®, many of our patients schedule regular injection sessions to maintain the added volumes and retain their youthful looks.

So, What’s the best anti-aging option: Botox® or a Dermal Filler?

When deciding whether to choose Botox® or a dermal filler, it’s best to consult with an experienced practitioner who can determine which product will best deliver the anti-aging results you seek. In some cases, both injectable treatments might be the right option, with Botox® addressing the dynamic lines on the upper half of the face, while a dermal filler boosts volumes and reduces wrinkles and lines on the lower portion.

Choose Your Botox® or Dermal Filler with Naples Plastic Surgery

The effectiveness of Botox® and dermal fillers is primarily dictated by the expertise and artistry of the practitioner. Whether dermal filler or Botox®, correct dosages, injection site placement, and proper substance diffusion are instrumental in optimizing results. The skilled plastic surgeons at Naples Plastic Surgery are intimately familiar with facial dynamics and highly adept at delivering natural-looking anti-aging results without causing facial muscle freeze or unwanted alterations. To help you choose the best anti-aging option, contact Naples Plastic Surgery today at 239.566.2611.