You may notice it first in photos. Or at a moment when you have just woken up, and your face looks more tired than you feel. A frown line that no longer fades, a crow’s foot beside your eye. Lips that seem a little thinner than before. Or skin that slowly seems to be losing its volume and starting to sag.
More and more people choose to improve their appearance in a subtle way with injectables. But then the question arises: do you choose botox or fillers? And what actually is the difference between the two?
In this blog we explain step by step what botox and fillers do exactly, when you consider which treatment and how you arrive at a choice that suits you.
What is the difference between botox and fillers?
Although botox and fillers are both injected, they work in totally different ways. Botox relaxes muscles, while fillers add volume.
Botox is often used for wrinkles that arise from muscle tension, the so-called dynamic wrinkles. Think of frown lines, forehead wrinkles or crow’s feet. They are those lines that become visible when you frown, laugh or raise your eyebrows, and that over time also remain in place at rest. Botox ensures that the muscle temporarily relaxes, which makes the skin look smoother.
Fillers, on the other hand, fill something up and can be better used to restore volume and for static wrinkles. As we get older, we lose volume in the face. The cheekbones become a little flatter, the lips thinner and the skin around the mouth can start to sag. Fillers bring that volume back. They are used, for example, for fuller lips, softening the nasolabial fold or accentuating the jawline.
When do you choose botox?
Botox is a good choice if you mainly suffer from wrinkles that arise from movement. These are usually:
- Frown lines between the eyebrows
- Horizontal lines on the forehead
- Fine lines beside the eyes (crow’s feet)
- Overactive muscles around the chin or jawline
These wrinkles are also called dynamic wrinkles. They arise because certain muscles in your face often tense, for example when you frown, laugh or squint your eyes. In the beginning these lines disappear as soon as your face relaxes, but over time they remain in place. Botox addresses the cause by temporarily relaxing the muscle, which allows the skin to relax too and the wrinkle to fade.
Sometimes botox is also used preventively. For example, with younger clients who are already beginning to see their frown line slightly and want to slow this down. By temporarily reducing the muscle activity, you prevent the lines from becoming deeper.
When do you choose fillers?
Fillers are suitable if you suffer from loss of volume or if you want to accentuate certain facial features. They are often used for:
- Filling up the nasolabial fold or marionette lines
- Restoring volume in the cheeks or cheekbones
- Correcting asymmetry in the face
- Improving the jawline or chin
- Enhancing or making the lips fuller
A frequently heard complaint is that someone looks more tired than he or she feels. Often that has to do with volume that has disappeared, for example under the eyes or in the middle of the face. A filler can then subtly restore the volume, giving you a fresher and more youthful appearance.
Also with small corrections, such as an uneven lip or a slightly receding chin, a filler can bring the face into balance. The result is immediately visible, and the effect is maintained on average six to twelve months.
Finally, there is a special category of people who can be helped with fillers. If an asymmetry has arisen in the face, for example after an accident or brain injury (cerebral infarction or haemorrhage), a drooping corner of the mouth, for instance, can be partly corrected so that less fluid runs out of the mouth.
What if you need both?
In practice, a combination of botox and fillers is often applied. For example with deep frown lines: botox relaxes the muscle, but if the wrinkle has already become ingrained, a filler can help to fill up the skin surface.
With facial rejuvenation too, both techniques are often used. Botox helps to relax overactive muscles, while fillers restore the volume that has disappeared through ageing. This way you can achieve a natural, fresh and balanced result with small adjustments.
It is not about you looking different, but about your appearance matching how you feel again.
Is the result natural?
That is a frequently asked question, and rightly so. No one wants a tight, expressionless face. A natural result arises when treatments are applied subtly and suit the shape and balance of your face.
At Kliniek het Bolwerk we therefore always opt for a personal approach. During a consultation we look at your wishes, but also at your face as a whole. How is the muscle tension? Where is there loss of volume? What suits your appearance? Based on the examination we draw up a personal step-by-step plan and explain it to you. After this you determine the pace of the steps yourself.
We treat with a light hand and a sharp eye for detail. The aim is for your face to look relaxed, fresh and natural, as if you have slept well or have just come back from holiday.
How do you know what suits you best?
The choice between botox and fillers depends on various factors. It is about the cause of your complaint (muscle tension or loss of volume), your age, your skin type and your expectations. Sometimes one treatment is enough, sometimes a combination of both is needed.
During a consultation we look together at what suits your face. We take the time to answer your questions, discuss any doubts and arrive together at a treatment plan that suits you.
We consider it important that you understand what a treatment involves, what you can expect and how the result develops. Only then can you make a well-considered choice.
Finally
Botox and fillers are both valuable tools in cosmetic medicine, but they work in a totally different way. Botox is suitable for wrinkles that arise from muscle tension, while fillers are used to restore or supplement volume.
It is therefore not a question of either botox or fillers, but of what your face needs. Sometimes that is one treatment, sometimes a combination. What is always central is your natural appearance and the feeling of being in balance with yourself again.
Do you have the feeling that you want to do something about your appearance, but do not yet know exactly what? Then a personal consultation is a good start. Without pressure, but with honest advice and plenty of room to ask questions.
