The terms fillers and injectables are often used interchangeably. If you have often been confused about the two terms, this article is for you. Let’s jump right into it.
Filler is a Type of Injectable
Filler is a type of injectable, not the other way around. There are many different injectables available in the market. Each product is formulated uniquely and has a distinct texture, density, and injection depth, resulting in a different outcome. Fillers are mainly used to add volume or improve the contours of your face.
Cosmetic fillers such as Juvaderm, Voluma, Restylane, and Radiesse add volume when injected underneath the skin. They can add volume to your cheeks, eliminate the look of wrinkles, and help you get rid of dark circles. Fillers essentially help support your skin in areas with lost volume, collagen, and elastin due to aging. They also help to eliminate deep-set wrinkles.
Other injectables like Botox prevent and correct wrinkles and fine lines. When Botox is injected into your face, it paralyzes specific muscles under your skin which leads to wrinkle formation. Botox will not add volume to your face and it is injected into your upper face around the forehead and eyebrow area.
Injectables Are Not Created Equal
The demand for non-surgical treatments that don’t accompany a downtime and give you youthful skin has given rise to the use of injectables. It has also sparked a common question along the line of injectables. Are filler and Botox the same? The answer is no. While they both fall under the category of injectables and they do a few things in common, they are very different.
Let’s look at the similarities first:
- Both Botox and dermal fillers fall under the category of injectables.
- Both are minimally invasive, office-based procedures that benefit from no downtime.
- They are a great alternative to surgical procedures that come with a long recovery time and higher risks and concerns.
- Both Botox and fillers offer natural-looking results when done by a highly trained and experienced professional.
With all the similarities, there are a bunch of differences as well, which we are going to discuss below:
Injectable neurotoxins and neuromodulators smoothen out the fine lines and wrinkles by relaxing the muscles that create fine lines and wrinkles in the first place. Botox primarily works on dynamic wrinkles, which form when you make a certain expression: laughing, squinting, etc. They won’t do much for the static wrinkles present on your face.
Cosmetic fillers, such as Juvederm, Voluma, Belotero, Restylane Silk, Radiesse, Sculptra, Restylane, and Perlane, essentially add volume to your face, lift the cheeks, eliminate under-eye bags, dark circles, and smile lines, enhance the look of your lips and eliminate vertical lip lines.
Fillers primarily work on the wrinkles at rest. Your skin loses collagen, fat, elastin, and hyaluronic acid with age. Fillers will help support your skin with all these aspects. They also help bump up the lost volume by boosting collagen production. Previously, collagen and fat were injected directly into the skin to replace the lost volume. It is now replaced with hyaluronic acid fillers like Juvederm, Voluma, Belotero, Restylane, or Perlane.
The longevity of different injectables also varies. In general, Botox will only last you for 3 to 4 months. On the other hand, fillers can last you from 6 months, leading up to 5 years. Yes, you read that correctly. There are multiple types of fillers available, and the longevity can vary drastically.
We want you to know that the best results can be achieved with a combination of Botox and dermal fillers. Anti-aging is not a one-dimensional problem. It is a combination of volume loss, wrinkles, and fine lines. A combo of the neurotoxin is used to relax the muscles, and hyaluronic acid fillers aim to replace the volume loss caused by aging. While neurotoxins and fillers are both injectables, they work differently but are usually synergistic.
Selection of a Provider for Performing the Injectables
It is essential to do significant research regarding choosing your service provider for getting fillers in the same way you would with getting any surgical procedure. Non-surgical injectables are a medical procedure that requires specific training, knowledge, and experience. Make sure you choose a highly experienced professional to ensure safe treatment and natural-looking results.
Select a provider who has extensive knowledge of facial anatomy, well-developed aesthetic eye, precision and accuracy.
Here are a few tips that can help:
Credentials and Experience
Please make a list of service providers in your area based on the credentials and experience of your service provider. Do not include every single provider in your area. Pay close attention to the education and years of experience.
Before and After Pictures
Always look at the before and after pictures of different patients on the provider’s website. If they aren’t available on the website, you can always ask for them during the consultation phase. Pay close attention to the photographs and ensure they haven’t been tampered with.
Reviews
Look for the reviews of different service providers online. Don’t restrict yourself to their websites only and go researching on other review sites, forums, and social media groups. If you are lucky, you can even find detailed, in-depth people’s experiences.
Referrals
You can always ask your local GP to refer you to a service provider. This will give you additional credibility and peace of mind. Ask around in your circle and see if someone has gotten injectables recently. Maybe they can make an excellent recommendation.
Trust Your Gut
It is essential to do research but don’t get stuck in the process. When you have done everything you could, it is time to trust your instinct and go with your gut. If you don’t feel comfortable going ahead with a particular service provider, don’t force yourself and continue your research till you land on the right one.
Final Takeaway
So, to conclude the answer to your question: fillers and injectables are not the same things even though these two words are used interchangeably. Fillers are a type of injectable, just like Botox and some other treatments. However, each injectable is used to address different concerns and helps you achieve aesthetic goals. Sometimes a combination of both is needed to achieve the desired outcome.
If you are still confused about which type of injectables you need to get, simply reach out to us, and we will book a consultation with a professional that can help you decide on the right treatment option for yourself.
