How is Dermal Filler Different to Botox?

 by Dr Timothy Beazleigh

How is Dermal Filler Different to Botox?

People are often confused by the difference between Botox and dermal filler treatments, assuming they are the same. Whilst Botox is a muscle relaxant and is used to minimise muscle contraction thus reducing fine lines and wrinkles on facial movement, dermal filler is used specifically to restore volume to deeper, lines, creases and folds that are usually static i.e. permanently visible on the face even when the face isn’t moving.


Traditional areas to treat with standard dermal fillers – including Juvederm and Restylane – are the nasolabial folds (corner of the nostrils to corners of the mouth), marionette lines (corners of mouth to chin/jowls) and the smokers lines (above the top lip). Thicker, more volumising fillers including Juvederm Voluma are used specifically to the mid face region to augment cheek bones, restore volume and plumpness to the lower cheeks and redefine the chin and temples. Fillers are also used to enchance and recontour lips.


As a treatment with dermal fillers requires the needle to penetrate the dermis deeper than for a standard Botox treatment, there is usually more opportunity for bruising to occur as the blood vessels are not visible to the practitioner (beyond the superficial layer), but bruising is by no means a standard side effect and occurs in approximately 50% of treatments.


Juvederm is the filler of choice at Melior Clinics Botox & Facial Aesthetic London Clinic as, being monophasic, it is smooth in consistency and also contains a built in anaesthetic, making the process a lot more comfortable for the patient.