Battle of the Injectables: Botox vs. Juvederm

If you’ve got wrinkles you’d like to banish, you’ve got more options these days than ever before. Laser treatments, chemical peels, and injections can all help to smooth away lines and wrinkles, no surgery needed. Among some of the more popular cosmetic injections out there are Botox and Juvederm.

Since both treatments are injectables, it can be easy to assume that they do the same things or work in the same areas. In truth, there’s a great deal of difference between Botox and Juvederm. Knowing how they differ can help you pick the treatment that’s right for you.

What Are They Made Of?

One significant difference between Botox and Juvederm is their ingredients. The main ingredient in Juvederm is hyaluronic acid.

Hyaluronic acid is a type of sugar that your body produces naturally. It helps to cushion your skin and joints and it’s responsible for giving young children and babies plump, chubby cheeks. As you get older, your natural stores of hyaluronic acid diminish. Your skin loses its plumpness and firmness and wrinkles often begin to appear.

Botox is made from botulinum toxin, which is produced by a bacteria. It’s not produced by the body, but it has been used safely for decades in medical settings.

What Wrinkles Do They Treat?

As their main ingredients are so different, it should be little surprise that Botox and Juvederm treat different types of wrinkles. Juvederm helps to fill in lines and wrinkles that develop as result of volume loss over time. It’s usually used to treat the lines that develop around the nose and mouth.

Some forms of Juvederm, such as Volbella, are specially formulated for use in the lips. Volbella helps to add soft and natural volume to the lips. Another form, Voluma, adds volume to the cheeks.

Botox, on the other hand, treats lines and wrinkles that develop as a result of repeated muscle movements over the course of your life. It’s FDA-approved to help reduce the appearance of frown lines between the eyebrows, crow’s feet at the corners of the eyes and horizontal lines across the forehead. Botox works by preventing certain nerve signals from reaching the muscles that are responsible for creating the movements that lead to wrinkles.

It’s also worth noting that Botox is FDA-approved to treat a variety of other issues, including excessive sweating in the underarms, migraine headaches and bladder incontinence.

How Long Do They Last?

Another difference between Botox and Juvederm is how long the results last. Botox has the shortest life — the results from the injection can start to fade away after about three months.

Standard Juvederm usually provides results for up to 10 months, while Voluma typically provides results that last for up to two years. Volbella can plump up the lips for about 12 months.

You can usually see the results from Juvederm immediately after injection. It can take a few days to a week before the results from a Botox injection become visible.

What Else Should You Know About Botox and Juvederm?

Although Botox and Juvederm have their differences, there are also a few similarities. Both treatments usually take less than 30 minutes to perform. You can also repeat either one if you like the results and want to maintain them.

Whether you decide to have Juvederm or Botox, it’s important to choose a provider who is trained and experienced. With Botox, there’s the risk for nerve damage and other issues if an inexperienced or improperly trained person performs the injection and misses the mark. With Juvederm there’s also the risk of severe damage and side effects in inexperienced hands.

What if you have both dynamic wrinkles (created by movement) and static wrinkles (created by a loss of volume) that you want to treat? The good news is that you can combine treatments. If it’s the right choice for you, your provider might recommend having Botox and Juvederm performed at the same time.

In Houston, Texas, Dr. Paul Vitenas and the staff at Mirror Mirror Beauty Boutique regularly perform Botox and Juvederm injections. To learn more about either treatment option and to get advice about choosing the one that’s most appropriate for you, call 281-810-9083 to schedule a consultation today.