As more and more people are choosing injectable cosmetic treatments, patients often ask, “What’s better, Botox© or hyaluronic acid?”
But in reality, the two procedures are totally unrelated and act in completely different ways.
Botox© is in fact a brand name for botulinum toxin, which other brands produce under names including Azzalure© , Vistabel© and Bocouture© .
Botulinum toxin acts by relaxing muscles. It’s actually a muscle relaxant.
For example, expression lines, such as the glabellar crease, forehead lines and crow’s feet, are perfectly treated with botulinum toxin.
But the face still keeps its expressions. We don’t aim for an American-style treatment, where nothing moves. We really want a treatment that releases and relaxes muscles. We don’t revitalize or stiffen the face, we relax it. That’s key.
Hyaluronic acid is a volumizing product, a filler, like a sponge that fills with water.
Hyaluronic acid acts in the same way, capturing water and adding volume. But the face itself won’t swell up, because there are lots of different types of hyaluronic acid, from low-volume hyaluronic acid used to treat fine lines (e.g. around the mouth) to high-volume hyaluronic acid to form cheekbones or reshape facial contours.
The acid and toxin treatments are often combined because they address very different issues.
This is really more about taking preventive action. It’s better to have a small dose at age 35 to keep the face looking natural. This means that less invasive techniques will be required as patients advance in age.