Dermal Fillers Vs Botox - What's the Difference?

There is still a tendency within the mainstream media and elsewhere to use the terms ‘fillers’ and ‘botox’ interchangeably, which creates a good deal of confusion since these are very different categories of products doing very different things. Little wonder then, that people often find themselves asking “what’s the difference?” and “which is better?” for correcting their concern and creating the results they seek. 
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Our aim here is to offer a quick reference guide to the applications and benefits of both so of course if you have further questions feel free to get in touch. The best thing when you are exploring your options is always to book in for a face-to-face consultation to get the most specific, relevant, helpful advice for you, according to your face and your personal concern(s).

Dermal Fillers
​dedicated treatment page  here

Botox for Forehead & Frown Lines dedicated treatment page here

Types of Facial Lines: Static and Dynamic

First, a key distinction to be aware of that there are, broadly-speaking, two types of facial lines: static or dynamic. If a line or wrinkle bothers us we need to consider whether it is there all the time even when the face is at rest, or if it only appears or increases with facial movement such as frowning or laughing. 

The lines that are present all the time are called static; they can be fine lines or deeper wrinkles and are generally caused by loss of collagen and elasticity. Due to the intrinsic/genetic ageing process it is an unfortunate fact that after the age of 20, one percent loss of collagen is produced in the dermis each year . So, you guessed it, dynamic lines are those that relate to facial expression and movement, e.g. ‘laughter lines’ at the outer corners of the eyes or the vertical ‘frown lines’ that appear between the eyebrows.

What can Dermal Filler do?

• It might not be the most elegant description, but we can really think of hyaluronic acid dermal fillers as effectively being like a ‘Polyfilla’ for underneath the skin 
• Dermal filler reinforces weakening facial structure and works to replace lost collagen, elastin, and facial fat – replacing lost facial volume
• When placed under the skin it remains in that area, until it is naturally degraded/metabolised by your body
• Dermal filler can be used in many areas of the face including the nasolabial (nose-to-mouth lines), cheeks, and temporal hollows (at the outer edge of the face beyond the eyes – from the peri-orbital area to the hairline)
• Specific dermal filler products can also be used to rejuvenate the décolleté, and hands

What can Dermal Filler not do?

• Dermal filler cannot cause a permanent change in the face or hands, since it is a product which is metabolised by the body. The exact time that this process takes will depend on the specific product used and can vary according to area and individual biology (permanent fillers are not safety approved or legal in the UK)
• However it is thought that by maintaining a better framework for the skin, filler can help some people to prevent further signs of ageing in these areas, when the results are maintained with further treatment. And indeed, innovative bio-remodelling products like Profhilo can give long-term effects since Profhilo is the only product to stimulate your natural production of all 4 types of collagen and elastin. (For more information about Profhilo take a look at our dedicated treatment page here and recent blog post here)
• Dermal filler cannot make a change in any facial muscle or muscle elsewhere – this is where Botox comes in…

What can Botox do?

• Botulinum toxin (whether Botox, Azzalure, or Bocouture) products are prescription only muscle relaxants and as such they can arrest dynamic lines by making a change in the muscle, where muscles have become overly contracted due to habitual movements e.g. frowning when concentrating etc.
• Botox has been widely used in a variety of effective medical treatments for many years. In aesthetics and wellbeing there are now so many safe and effective applications including treatment for: décolleté wrinkles, the lower face and neck, facial slimming and jawline reduction, headache and migraine, excess sweating, and bruxism/teeth grinding. 
• It can also be a good preventative option to treat areas, preventing existing lines from becoming more entrenched and smoothing those that are already there. Botox treatment can help to break the habit of using your facial muscles in ways that contribute to those angry or sad looking lines.
• Botox can help to lift a heavier brow which has dropped

What can Botox not do?

• Botox cannot fill spaces between the muscles i.e. it cannot replace volume which has been lost due to the reduction of collagen and elastin present in the skin. This is really the key difference between Botox and dermal fillers.
• Botox cannot make a permanent change in the muscle – as with dermal filler, the product is degraded by the body according to the natural metabolism process

Treating Forehead Frown Lines – What’s Best – Botox or Filler?

• Sometimes people contact us and they feel that they have deeper lines in the forehead area perhaps and they are unsure what would be the best treatment for these wrinkles
• Botox is the preferred product because even when the forehead is very furrowed, it is still the muscles that need addressing in order to help cure the cause of the wrinkles
• The glabellar lines; the space between the brows can be filled between the brows if someone has a particular reason why they do not wish to have Botox in this area. 
• Filling the frown lines can be a painful procedure and does have some risks to be aware of
• Your personal beliefs and views will always be respected but you will be advised as to relevant risks and results achievable with the different options
• So when we are asking ‘what’s best?’ the question we are really thinking about is ‘what’s best for you?’