BOTOX versus HYALURONIC acid

There is often a belief that the most effective aesthetic procedures, the ones with the best results, are done with botox, and that hyaluronic acid is merely a substance found in skincare products. Quite wrong. Both are substances injected under the skin to correct and/or enlarge particular areas. BOTOX is always injected where you want to relax, and HYALURONIC ACID where you want to fill. The two substances are not alike; they are used for different purposes. They can be combined in reshaping the same face, where that is called for, each complementing the other. Dr Dana Popoiu, a dermatologist at Dermestetica, explains the differences and the advantages and disadvantages of these aesthetic procedures.

Botox and hyaluronic acid are substances dermatologists use in aesthetic procedures. The right substance is chosen according to the problems of the skin and the wishes of the patient. They are used for people who want to undo the effects of ageing by correcting wrinkles and improving their appearance, adding volume to the lips or the cheekbones. They are injected with a fine needle, in small quantities, under the skin, improving the look of the area concerned. The procedure causes slight discomfort, and afterwards there may be faint redness, swelling, a feeling of tightness or local itching. The discomfort is temporary and generally disappears within a few days.

HYALURONIC ACID is a substance native to the human body, present in the dermis and in the joints, whose role is to maintain the hydration, the consistency, the firmness and the elasticity of the skin and the joints. The injectable filler is produced in a laboratory, is biodegradable, and comes as a clear, transparent gel.

What can be treated with hyaluronic acid?

It can be used for wrinkles and folds, lip augmentation and the correction of facial contours. Hyaluronic acid fillers help restore volumes lost to ageing and, in general, unsightly hollows and irregularities. Unlike botox, which blocks the contraction of the facial muscles, hyaluronic acid is used to fill resting wrinkles or the fine lines caused by the ageing of the skin. It can also be used to reshape the face, particularly to fill the cheekbones, to smooth the unsightly marks left by acne, and to reshape and add volume to the lips.

How long does the effect last?

The treatment is simple and quick, and the effect is visible immediately. No prior test is needed. The treatment generally takes 30 minutes, but that depends on the correction you want. The results last a long time, but they are not permanent. How long the effect lasts varies from person to person and depends on many factors (age, skin type, the site of the injection, lifestyle, muscle activity, the technique used). In general the appearance holds for about a year for wrinkles and between six months and a year for lips.

BOTULINUM TOXIN or BOTOX is a purified protein extract produced by Clostridium botulinum. Botox is a simple, non-surgical treatment that can temporarily soften or erase the lines and wrinkles of the glabellar region (between the eyebrows), the forehead, the periorbital area (“crow's feet”) and around the mouth. In other words, BOTULINUM TOXIN is recommended for softening expression lines, caused by the repeated movements of the face.

How does Botox work?

Facial lines form through the overactivity of the muscles of facial expression, whose contraction creases the skin. During the treatment, very small doses of the substance are injected directly into the muscle, blocking the transmission of the nerve impulse to the injected muscle. Its activity is reduced, which prevents the wrinkle from forming.

How long do the effects of botox last?

The treatment takes about 10 to 15 minutes and needs no recovery period. The effect becomes visible after a few days, reaches its maximum two weeks after the injection, and lasts about 3 to 4 months, sometimes longer. Results vary from case to case.
If the treatment is not continued, the wrinkles return to how they were.

In conclusion, when is Botox used and when hyaluronic acid?

BOTOX deals with the wrinkles of the forehead, between the eyebrows and around the eyes. HYALURONIC ACID is the solution for the wrinkles around the mouth and on the cheeks, and is also used to add volume to the lips and the cheekbones.
The main difference between botox and hyaluronic acid is the principle by which they work. Botox inhibits the transmission of the nerve impulse from the nerve to the muscle, so that the injected area is relaxed, while hyaluronic acid behaves like a sponge that holds water in the skin, keeping it firm. Using botox and hyaluronic acid together allows the face to be reshaped according to wishes and needs, with no discrepancy between areas, creating a face in balance.