Enhancements
Facial Plastic Surgery &
Laser Specialists
5201 William Penn Hwy.
Easton, PA 18045
Tel: 610.250.1933
Toll-free: 888.228.2424
Which Shot For Which Spot? Cosmetic Injectables 101.
by Dr. Scott Sackman, Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon
One of the most frequent questions that patients ask is "What's the difference between Botox and Restylane?" Although these products are often used together, they are completely different medications, and they create distinctly different results.
The face is a unique anatomic region of the human body. It is the only part of the body where muscle activity directly causes the skin to move, because facial muscles are attached to the facial skin. In all other areas of the body, muscles only attach to the bones. Facial Plastic Surgeons know facial anatomy best. We typically achieve the best results from Cosmetic Injectables.
Lines on the face are of two distinct types; Static Lines or Dynamic Lines. Each type of line requires treatment with a different product. If the wrong product is chosen, the result for the patient will be less than optimal.
Static Lines are lines which are always present, regardless of whether the face is at rest or in motion. They are present whether a person is awake or asleep. Dynamic Lines only appear when the face is put into motion. When a person smiles, "crow's feet" lines appear next to the eyes. When the eyebrows are raised, transverse lines across the forehead appear. When one squints, vertical lines between the eyebrows appear.
Static Lines are generally best treated by "fillers", such as Restylane, There are several similar products available as well. Fillers are injected between or just beneath the layers of the skin to lift the wrinkle line up to the surface level of the surrounding skin, thereby removing the line. BOTOX is the most widely used product for the treatment of Dynamic Lines - the kind that appear with smiling, frowning, etc. When properly injected, BOTOX can soften or eliminate the specific lines that appear with facial expression. BOTOX injections are often combined with filler injections to achieve the most pleasing cosmetic results for a patient.
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All Cosmetic Injectable medications produce temporary results. Periodic re-treatment will be necessary to maintain the results. An experienced Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon is the best type of doctor to help you achieve the results that you desire from Cosmetic Injectable products.
