Botulinum toxin (or Botox, its commercial name) is often confused with hyaluronic acid. Many people think they have the same effect, but this is not entirely true. Some members of Top Doctors specialists in Aesthetic Medicine, Dr. Mery Lamah, Dr. Amselem and Dr. Moreno, offer the details of both substances and their uses on the skin.
Hyaluronic acid is found naturally and permanently in the skin. It is responsible for keeping the skin hydrated, its main function being to retain fluid, filling the dermis from within. However, as the years go by, its concentration decreases and wrinkles appear. To avoid this effect, creams containing this substance can be applied or it can be injected. When injected, wrinkles and furrows are filled. Dr. Mery Lamah, an aesthetic physician in Zaragoza, explains in her article that it is a naturally occurring glucose molecule whose purpose is to bind and absorb water molecules to increase the volume of the face. “Fillers are used to attenuate wrinkles and/or facial folds, and also improve the appearance of the lips,” adds the doctor.
Botulinum toxin (or Botox, its commercial name) is a toxin that aims to paralyze the muscles temporarily. By paralyzing the facial muscles, movements that cause wrinkles, such as those around the eyes or between the eyebrows, are not performed. Hence, it is injected in small doses where wrinkles exist, to eliminate or attenuate them, and prevent the appearance of new expression lines. It is not a material that fills wrinkles, so it does not eliminate them by providing volume, but acts on the muscles of the face and relaxes them. It works by restoring smoothness and luminosity, with a natural expression.
Which areas can be treated with botulinum toxin and which with hyaluronic acid?
Botulinum toxin is indicated to attenuate wrinkles on the forehead, between the eyebrows and crow’s feet. However, Dr. Moreno Luna, an aesthetic physician in Madrid and also a member of Top Doctors, explains in another article that “it also allows to slightly modify the position of the eyebrows, raising their position, providing luminosity and making the look more attractive. At the same time, other applications of Botox are the treatment of excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis on the palms of the hands and feet, or in the armpits”.
The uses of hyaluronic acid are similar, but not the same. As a filler treatment, it can be used to attenuate facial wrinkles and fill in other areas, such as the lips. It is especially indicated to eliminate crow’s feet, for example. Dr. Dr. Amselem, an aesthetic physician and member of Top Doctors, explains in his article that “the crow’s feet area is characterized by being very fine, so the application can be done by means of small particles that serve for superficial injections. The usual treatment is to first treat the most pronounced wrinkle and then treat the rest”.
What is the treatment with Botox and hyaluronic acid?
Both treatments are quick, and take no more than 30-45 minutes in the office. Dr. Moreno assures us that the Botox treatment is simple and practically painless, without the need for anesthesia. With hyaluronic acid, Dr. Lamah explains that, prior to the injection of hyaluronic acid, “the skin is prepared by cleaning the area and then topical or local anesthesia is applied to numb the area during the process. The treatment is performed with a fine needle or cannula in the dermis along the edge of the treatment area. This gives the skin a smoother, more youthful look.
Results will be visible, with both treatments, within two to three days of undergoing the procedure. The durability of Botox is usually between 4 and 6 months, so it will be advisable to repeat it twice a year, more or less. Hyaluronic acid also lasts between six months and a year, according to Dr. Amselem, so its effects are not definitive and there is no “going back”.
Differences and similarities between Botox and hyaluronic acid
The main differences between Botox and hyaluronic acid are as follows:
- Botox paralyzes the musculature and prevents wrinkles produced by such movements. On the other hand, hyaluronic acid works by injecting the substance, thus filling the wrinkle.
- Botulinum toxin is applied to the facial muscles to be relaxed and hyaluronic acid is applied directly to the wrinkle.
- Botox is usually used in the upper third of the face and hyaluronic acid in the lower third.
- Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance produced by our body, so it is totally biocompatible. Botox, on the other hand, is an external protein.
At the same time, both substances have many similarities. First of all, both have a rejuvenating effect, so they can even be applied together to improve the results. On the other hand, both must be applied by a specialist in Aesthetic Medicine to guarantee the desired results. Finally, both substances have a specific duration and are progressively reabsorbed.