What is the Difference Between Botox and Fillers?

Botox® and hyaluronic acid fillers are among the five most popular nonsurgical cosmetic treatments globally, but their popularity has also created a lot of confusion. 

At Vivida Dermatology in Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada, and St. George, Utah, we understand how injectables can lead to unrealistic expectations when you don’t know what each treatment does. 

Before you join the millions getting these treatments, here’s what you need to know about how they work and which one is right for your goals.

Botox vs. fillers: Aren’t they the same thing?

While both Botox and fillers fall under the umbrella of nonsurgical injectables, that’s where many of their similarities end. Yes, both involve quick injections beneath your skin to combat signs of aging, and both offer the convenience of minimal downtime compared to surgical procedures. 

But the way they work to smooth wrinkles and restore a youthful appearance is entirely different — which is why using them interchangeably often leads to disappointing results.

Botox smooths dynamic wrinkles by stopping muscle contractions

As a neuromodulator, Botox — along with alternatives like Dysport® — affects muscle movement. It’s injected into the facial muscles that control expressions like frowning and smiling. By disrupting the nerve signals that tell your muscles to contract, Botox effectively forces your skin to stop creasing.

We recommend Botox for dynamic wrinkles, which form from facial movement. These lines and wrinkles typically include:

• Crow’s feet (around your eyes)
• Frown lines (between your eyebrows)
• Forehead lines
• Bunny lines (on your nose)
• Smoker’s lines (above your lips)
• Marionette lines (around your mouth)
• Horizontal neck bands

Injecting Botox into the small muscles near the corners of your lips can even create the appearance of a nonsurgical lip lift and fix a downturned smile.

Fillers restore facial volume with gel-like substances

Dermal fillers like Juvéderm® and Restylane® contain hyaluronic acid, a natural substance that keeps your skin plump and responsive. Around age 25, you start producing less hyaluronic acid, resulting in thinner, drier, less elastic skin. 

Introducing hyaluronic acid back into your skin through fillers rebuilds the framework that keeps your face looking full and youthful.

Unlike Botox, which stops muscle movement, fillers physically replace lost volume and fill in deep grooves that stay visible even when your face is relaxed. We use fillers to treat static wrinkles and volume loss, including:

• Nasolabial folds (lines from your nose to your mouth corners)
• Hollowed cheeks and temples
• Under-eye bags and dark circles
• Thin or undefined lips
• Deep marionette lines
• Vertical lines above your lips
• Sunken areas that make you look tired

Fillers work immediately to restore the plumpness you’ve lost over time. The results typically last 6-12 months, depending on the product used and the injection site.

Choosing between Botox and fillers — Why not both?

You don’t have to favor one injectable over the other. Combining treatments often delivers the most natural-looking results because you’re addressing different causes of aging simultaneously. 

Smoothing wrinkles without targeting volume loss can leave you looking flat and unnatural, while adding volume to an area that’s still creasing from muscle movement won’t give you the smooth results you want.

Our approach at Vivida Dermatology focuses on treating your face as a whole rather than targeting individual problems in isolation. During your consultation, we’ll evaluate which areas need muscle relaxation, which need volume restoration, and how to sequence your treatments for the best possible outcome.

Call us in Las Vegas or Henderson, Nevada, or St. George, Utah, to book an injectables consultation or schedule an appointment online.