What’s the Difference Between Botox and Fillers?

Everyone has heard of Botox, and many people have heard about fillers. Even though name recognition is strong, many don’t know exactly what either of these products do!

PSC Members were asked that question: “I don’t know the difference between fillers and Botox. Am I going to get both? Which one do I need?” Find out the answer in this PSC Talk segment.

by The Plastic Surgery Channel

The what’s what of injectables

“That is a great question and I hear it all the time in my practice,” answers Dr. Brian Brzowski of Utah. “I’ll have patients come and a lot of times, because of advertisements, they want to ask for a certain product, not really understanding what those products do. The short answer is Botox weakens muscles. If we have lines on the face or inappropriate maneuvers and animations that we don’t like, we can weaken those muscles safely. Fillers simply fill in indentations and wrinkles and add volume.”

It doesn’t get much simpler than that. Botox is used to weaken muscles that cause wrinkles, while fillers quite literally fill in areas of the face that have lost volume. Easy enough, right? The complexity the situation comes in how Botox and fillers are used and by whom.

The art of aesthetic medicine

Now we know what each injectable does, the only thing left to do is inject where we need it, right? The truth is a bit more complicated; simply injecting Botox into the face is not going to achieve a great result. To truly benefit from these products, an expert needs to be involved to put the right amount in the right spot.

“Lots of injectable patients are actually great candidates for combination therapy where we use Botox in certain areas and fillers in another area,” explains Dr. Mark Pinsky of Florida. “In that combination, from an artistic approach, very beautiful results for patients can be created. Now with the new filler, Voluma, we’re no longer just chasing lines. We’re reestablishing the contours and fullness associated with youth.”

More than just having a deep knowledge of facial anatomy, board certified plastic surgeons and dermatologists have an artistic sense that allows them to wield these tools like an artist wields a paintbrush.

“As plastic surgeons, we’ve studied the art of beauty,” says Pinsky. “And then we’ve learned a way to recreate that beauty. The different types of fillers and neurotoxins that are available are like a palette of colors, and we use each one of these different products for different things to try and create. We’re basically like artists and the syringe is like a paintbrush!”

It may seem like anyone can inject some Botox here and there, but interested patients should steer clear of “Botox parties” and coupons when it comes to aesthetic procedures. After all, board certified physician’s have spent a considerable amount of their life learning about and understanding human anatomy. That’s the kind of artist you want to make you look younger and refreshed.

“I think the best approach for [this patient] is to go see a qualified plastic surgeon that you can trust and let them analyze your problem,” says Brzowski. “You might not be a candidate for either of those two products, you might need something else! Find someone you trust and someone who will be a good advocate for you. I think what the untrained and unqualified practitioners don’t understand is that they don’t know what they don’t know.”