Over the years, Botox has become a familiar part of our lexicon. Whether you’ve had treatment yourself or only heard about it from friends or on TV, chances are you’ve at least heard of Botox and know it’s used to smooth out skin and reinvigorate the face. Although Botox is the most instantly recognizable facial injection, there are actually a whole range of injectable fillers available to help turn back the hands of time, including Juvederm Voluma. Voluma is a new dermal filler that restores volume in the cheeks, reducing hollows and drooping skin, revitalizing your face for a youthful glow.
Botox and Voluma are both facial injections, but they are ultimately designed to treat different cosmetic issues. Botox relaxes facial muscles to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles, and is particularly suited for lines around and between the eye (crows feet), eyebrows, and forehead. Voluma restores fullness and volume to the cheek area for an instant cheek lift, giving an overall fuller, more youthful appearance.
Because they work in different ways and focus on different areas, Botox and Voluma can be used alone, or combined to rejuvenate the entire face. In order to decide which of these injections would be a good choice for you, it’s helpful to learn a little bit more about how they work and what each one has to offer.
Botox relaxes
For line and wrinkle reduction of the face, Botox can works wonders from the cheekbones up to the forehead by reducing muscle contractions. Our brain communicates with our facial muscles through our nerves, instructing them to smile, frown, raise an eyebrow, etc. Over time, these expressions begin to leave lines on our forehead and around our eyes. Botox is a protein that is able to block these messages, allowing the muscles to relax. These effects are very localized and when administered by an experienced skin care nurse or aesthetician, do not affect your ability to smile, laugh, or otherwise show expression.
Botox is a quick and minimally invasive procedure, and consists of a few tiny injections into the facial muscles. It can be injected into areas involving the eyelid region, forehead, or neck. Over 6-9 months nerves grow new receptors and full muscle function returns. Botox can then be injected again.
Voluma lifts
As we age, our skin loses collagen, elasticity and volume. This natural loss of facial volume and laxity can result in flattened cheeks, sagging folds, and overall droopiness. Bags or puffiness under the eyes can also be enhanced as gravity pulls down on the skin. Voluma is the only FDA-approved dermal filler that focuses on the cheek area. The main ingredient is hyaluronic acid, a substance found in the cells that diminishes as we age. It can not only be used to reduce lines and wrinkles, but actually alters the whole shape of the face.
Voluma is injected around the cheekbone to restore volume and fullness, giving a youthful, “apple” cheeked look to the face. Because the lifting occurs from the cheekbone, there is also an improvement in puffiness under the eyes and laxity of the lower face.
Fuller face, diminished lines and wrinkles
The loss of fullness in the cheeks is second only to wrinkles and lines in aging the face. With a facelift, sagging fat is moved up in the cheeks in order to enhance the profile. While Voluma can’t actually move fat, it’s able to obtain mimic this result by filling in the same area, which refreshes the contours of the face. For those who have noticed some sagging, but aren’t ready to commit to surgery to correct it, Voluma is an excellent option. Though the lift is subtle, the results can be dramatic. Adding volume to the cheeks can also make a difference in the appearance of wrinkles in nearby areas, depending on where and how deep the wrinkles are.
Using Botox in conjunction with Voluma can be extremely beneficial. Botox softens the muscle contraction that causes fine lines, while Voluma fills in the folds and hollows, and offers a lifting effect. Pairing the two is a highly effective way to rejuvenate the entire face with significant results, giving a smooth and soft appearance to the face. Instead of simply softening wrinkles in isolated areas with Botox, or giving the cheeks a lift with Voluma, it’s possible to bring a youthful appearance back to the whole face by changing its overall shape.
Skin care procedures with Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis
Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis is proud to offer a range of skin care procedures from Botox to Voluma and beyond. Using facial fillers and combinations like Botox and Voluma, our skin care specialists can improve the look and contour of your face. If you’re in the Memphis area and looking for a natural, non-surgical way to achieve your immediate and long-term skin goals, we can help! Get in touch with us today to learn more about what our skin care procedures have to offer. We’ll work with you to find the best treatment and combination to roll back the years and allow you to put your best face forward.