What Botox actually does
Botox is a neuromodulator. It temporarily relaxes the small muscles that create expression lines: the vertical lines between the brows, horizontal forehead lines, crow's feet at the outer eye. It does not add anything to the face. It quiets a movement, and the line that movement was carving softens over the following two weeks.
It lasts roughly three to four months, results build gradually, and it does nothing at all for lines that are present when the face is at rest. That last point is where most confusion starts.
What dermal fillers do
Fillers are the opposite tool. Most are hyaluronic acid gels that add volume where it has been lost or was never there: cheeks, lips, the hollows under the eyes, the folds that run from nose to mouth. They restore structure rather than relax movement.
Results are immediate, last from six months to over a year depending on the product and the area, and can be dissolved if needed. Because they add rather than relax, they carry more risk in inexperienced hands, which is why who injects matters more than what.
Side by side
- Mechanism: Botox relaxes muscle. Fillers add volume.
- Best for: Botox, lines caused by expression. Fillers, lines and hollows present at rest.
- Onset: Botox, 5 to 14 days. Fillers, immediate.
- Duration: Botox, 3 to 4 months. Fillers, 6 to 18 months.
- Reversible: Botox wears off. Most fillers can be dissolved.
Which one, for what
Frown lines that only appear when you frown: Botox. A deep line between the brows that is still there when your face is relaxed: usually both, Botox to stop it deepening and a small amount of filler to lift what is already etched. Flattened cheeks or thinner lips: filler. Crow's feet: Botox. Under-eye hollows: filler, and only from someone who does it constantly.
Where facials fit in
Neither injectable does anything for skin quality. Texture, tone, hydration, congestion, dullness: those are surface and barrier problems, and injectables do not touch them. This is why a good plan usually starts with the skin itself. Our Signature Medical Facial handles hydration and glow, and the Advanced Medical Facial is built for pigment and texture. Skin that is healthy first makes any injectable work look far more natural later, and sometimes makes it unnecessary.
Questions
Botox and fillers, answered
Can Botox and fillers be done in the same appointment?
Yes, and they often are. They treat different problems, so combining them is common in experienced hands.
Which is safer?
Both are safe when done properly. Fillers carry more risk in inexperienced hands because they add volume near blood vessels, so the injector matters more than the product.
Does Skin Lab Clinic offer Botox or fillers?
Not yet. We currently offer four facials only. Injectables are planned once our medical paperwork is complete.
Will a facial delay my injectables?
No. A facial the week before an injectable appointment is fine. Ask your injector about timing after, usually a week or two.
Healthy skin first. Everything else after.
Book a medical facial at Skin Lab Clinic, Midtown East. Open 7 days.
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