As another Michigan fall comes into view it’s time to put thoughts of Crystal Lake and camping in the U.P. aside and think about the cooler weather ahead. How are the gutters? Will the snowblower start? Do I need new snow boots?
Plus, we’re coming into the party season of the fall and early winter. It could be a great time to address those lines, creases, and areas of volume loss to look your best when being a social gadfly.
But should you have Botox or a dermal filler like Restylane? People often bunch the two together, but they are completely different in how they work, and more important to you, where they work.
Botox for the expression-able face
Botox is one of the world’s most famous brand names, renowned for erasing crow’s feet, the 11s between the eyebrows, and forehead lines. What do those three problem areas have in common? They are all on the upper third of the face, the area where we create expressions. That’s where the FDA approved Botox for cosmetic use.
That’s because Botox works by relaxing muscles. When Botox is injected into a muscle it temporarily stops that muscle from contracting for a period of about four months. On the upper third of the face we use muscles around our eyes, between the brows, and across the forehead to form expressions such as frowning or showing surprise. Over time, and hundreds of thousands of these expressions, wrinkles form on the surface skin above the contracting muscles. These are called “dynamic” wrinkles. When Botox is injected into the muscle below the wrinkle it relaxes the muscle so the wrinkle on the skin above doesn’t form.
Dermal fillers for the mid to lower face
OK, so that takes care of the upper portion of the face. On the mid to lower face, muscle contractions don’t form your creases and wrinkles. Those form due to declining collagen production (particularly evident in areas such as the cheeks, which lose volume and flatten), sun damage, personal habits such as smoking, and other factors. These are known as “static” wrinkles, and they show themselves at all times; they have nothing to do with muscles under the skin.
Dermal fillers, such as the Restylane line we carry at Elite, work on static wrinkles. When our trained injectors inject a dermal filler under a crease or area of volume loss, the dermal filler simply fills in the area and pushes the skin back up. That erases the wrinkle or fills the area such as the cheeks. Unlike Botox, which is a single product, dermal fillers have different products for different areas. For instance, Restylane is great for smile and marionette lines. Restylane Silk is designed only for use on the lips to add volume and shape.
There, now you know how to choose your injectable — it all depends on where and how the wrinkles are forming. Call us at Elite Plastic Surgery, (616) 459-1907, to schedule your session.
No comments yet.