There are many different cosmetic injectables currently available to enhance your appearance. Two of the most popular options for aesthetic treatment are Botox and Juvederm injections. While both can smooth wrinkles and make changes to the facial appearance, they work very differently. Let’s look at the difference between Botox and Juvederm treatments and which may be beneficial to meet your cosmetic goals.
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Neuromodulators Versus Facial Fillers
The main difference between Botox and Juvederm is how they work. Botox and similar products like Dysport or Jeuveau are neuromodulators, while products like Juvederm and Restylane are facial fillers. Both are used for cosmetic treatment, but how they impact the skin varies.
Neuromodulators utilize a neurotoxin to impact nerve signals to the muscles. Botox uses botulinum toxin type A, a neurotoxin that blocks nerve signals to the muscles. This effect is used to stop muscle contractions, which can stop the formation of certain lines and wrinkles, as well as change the facial muscles in other ways. The effects of Botox injections are temporary – the nerve signals and muscles begin to work normally again in about 3-4 months.
Facial fillers like Juvederm use substances to add volume under the skin. Juvederm’s main ingredient is hyaluronic acid, which is a substance that collects moisture in the skin and other tissues. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally-occurring element in the skin, joints and other tissues in the body. By injecting hyaluronic acid under the skin, it can create volume to smooth lines/wrinkles, plump lips or reshape facial features.
Benefits of Botox Injections
Botox was the first neurotoxin to be FDA-approved for cosmetic treatment. Botox Cosmetic was approved for the treatment of frown lines and brow furrows in 2002, even though it had been used for this effect as an off-label treatment for several years. Since 2002, it has been approved for many other medical and cosmetic uses. Some of the popular uses for cosmetic Botox injections include:
- Worry and frown lines. The “11s” or glabella lines between the eyebrows and horizontal lines on the brow can be smoothed with Botox injections.
- Crow’s feet. The outer eye squint lines or “crow’s feet” are a common area smoothed with the use of neuromodulator injections.
- Bunny lines. Lines on the nose bridge and nasal sidewalls are referred to as bunny lines – creating the look of a rabbit’s nose. Botox can relax the muscles and smooth away nasal lines.
- Brow lift. Botox can be used for a chemical brow lift, relaxing muscles that pull down the eyebrows and allowing a more youthful arch to the brows.
- Gummy smile treatment. Relaxing the upper lip can hide a gummy smile, allowing the lip to rest lower over the upper teeth.
- Neck cords/bands. Pronounced vertical neck cords or bands can make the neck look older. Botox can relax the neck muscles to create a slimmer, more youthful neck appearance.
- Masseter reduction. Botox can be used to slim a wide or masculine face. Injections can target the masseter (jaw) muscles to relax and shrink them over time, creating a slimmer or feminine facial appearance.
- Lip flip. Botox can be used to create a fuller, more youthful upper lip – the injection can relax muscles around the mouth to allow the lip to “flip” outward to show more of the pink lip skin and a fuller appearance.
There are many different uses for Botox for creating a more youthful, attractive appearance. Botox can also be used for controlling excess sweating, muscle spasms and many other treatments.
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Benefits of Juvederm
Juvederm is one of the most popular lines of hyaluronic acid fillers with multiple formulas from which to choose. Filler injections work by delivering the hyaluronic acid underneath the skin, which expands and adds volume. Depending on where the filler is placed, you may need a more flexible formula with smaller particles or a denser formula with larger particles. Surface fillers for the lips or fine lines require a more flexible formula while deeper lines or facial contouring may need a denser dermal filler.
Juvederm filler injections can offer many benefits for improving the appearance of your skin and face. Some of the benefits of Juvederm treatments include:
Plump, full lips. Voluptuous lips are desirable and attractive. Filler injections can restore youthful, beautiful volume to aging lips or add volume for plumper lips at any age.
Smooth lines. Juvederm injections can add volume under fine lines and wrinkles, as well as deeper lines like the nasolabial fold (smile lines).
Facial contouring. Juvederm, especially the Voluma XC formula, can add deep volume into the skin on the cheeks, chin or temples to contour the face. This can replace lost volume from aging, rejuvenating the appearance of the face.
Feature reshaping. Juvederm filler can be used to reshape the nose, chin or other features for a non-surgical facial enhancement.
When performed by an experienced cosmetic injection specialist, Juvederm treatments can look natural and enhance your best features.
Treatment Differences: What to Expect
Botox and Juvederm both offer benefits for improving your facial aesthetics but through very different applications. Both are injections that can be performed in about 15 minutes at Arcadia Wellness Center in Phoenix, but there are significant differences in how quickly you will see results and how long those results will last.
Botox treatments usually require multiple injections to target the desired muscles. The most common side effects of Botox are swelling, redness or bruising at the injection site but these quickly dissipate over the next 1-2 days. Botox does not begin relaxing the muscles immediately – the effects can take up to a week to begin working as desired. Most Botox patients will notice the effects wearing off in about 3-4 months. To maintain the desired results, most patients receive 2-3 Botox treatments per year.
Juvederm injections also may result in some swelling or bruising at the injection site. The volume increase is almost instant, creating the desired look on the day of your treatment. Depending on the Juvederm formula used, dermal filler injection results can last nine months or longer before the treatment needs to be repeated to maintain the desired effect.
Both Juvederm and Botox are temporary treatments. Botox wears off quicker, but it is not reversible once the treatment is performed. Juvederm treatments can be reversed using an enzyme injection, but this is rarely needed when injections are performed by a qualified cosmetic injection specialist.
Which Is Right for You?
The good news about choosing between Botox or Juvederm is that you do not need to choose one or the other. Both have unique benefits and many of our patients at Arcadia Wellness Center use both products. Botox is better for reducing dynamic lines and adjusting muscle contractions to improve your facial appearance. Juvederm offers almost instant volume to reshape your lips or facial contours, as well as plump skin to smooth away lines and wrinkles.
If you are interested in learning more about Botox or Juvederm injections, come see our experts at Arcadia Wellness Center. We use both products to enhance the beauty of our patients and we can discuss the differences and benefits of each treatment. Call our office in Phoenix to schedule a cosmetic injection consultation or treatment.