Botox or Fillers: Everything You Need To Know Before Your Appointment

We recently joined LifeScape's Injector, Dr. Heather McGee, in a patient’s facial assessment to learn more about her perspective on common questions and concerns patients have when considering Botox as a solution for their facial lines and wrinkles.

Here are Dr. McGee’s top recommendations to consider when evaluating your options for Botox and fillers:

1. Understand Your Botox Goals: Clearly define what you want to achieve with Botox. Are you looking to reduce fine lines, smooth out deep wrinkles, or prevent new ones from forming?
2. Know the Difference Between Botox and Fillers: Botox relaxes muscles to reduce wrinkles, while fillers add volume to areas like cheeks and lips. Understanding their distinct functions can help you make an informed decision.
3. Consult with a Qualified Injector: Always choose a certified and experienced injector like Dr. McGee. Their expertise ensures safe and effective treatments tailored to your needs.
4. Consider the Timing: Plan your treatment around your schedule, as it might take a few days to see the full effects of Botox.
5. Budget for Maintenance: Botox and fillers are not permanent solutions. Discuss the frequency and cost of maintenance treatments with your injector to plan accordingly.

And, here are a few additional things she recommends you consider as you evaluate your options for botox and/or fillers:

Botox Brow Lift: Do you tend to hold your eyebrows up?

If you are in the habit of holding your eyebrows up, you are activating the muscle on top of your forehead. This is a big, flat muscle that moves our eyebrows and the more you use it, the more you’ll start to see lines and wrinkles forming.

If you get Botox, you can sometimes feel like your eyebrows become a bit heavy.

If you tend to hold your eyebrows up, we can apply a treatment plan that pulls your eyebrows up naturally with the botox to avoid that heavy feeling, and still give your eyebrows a bit of a lift without the wrinkles.

If you’re seeing static lines (lines without movement) it will take longer to relax out.

If you’ve noticed that you have wrinkles even when you aren’t making different facial expressions, that will require a bit more time to relax out. In some cases it could take 9 to 12 months to really see a complete change.

Botox Before and After: Do you want the appearance of youthful, bright, awake and alert eyes?

If this is what you desire with the outcome of your Botox, we can treat the round muscle that goes all around our eyes. This muscle is typically what causes crow's feet and also makes the eyebrows go down. When we treat that muscle, it relaxes and opens up the outside of your eyes.

Botox for Smile Lines: Do you feel gravity is setting in around your mouth causing drooping?

That common complaint of ‘drooping’ is caused by volume loss over the cheekbones, or that the skin of your face has actually just moved down (due to gravity). To combat this, we recommend using a filler in the cheekbone area to take some of the pressure off of the other places around your mouth.

Choosing the Right Filler: Which filler is right for you?

We use two different types of fillers. The most commonly used filler is Voluma. Voluma is a Hyaluronic acid and it gives you instant results that typically last about 2 years. The other option is Radiesse. Radiesse is calcium in a gel suspension, which also gives you instant results. In addition, the calcium irritates the tissues it comes in contact with which causes your body to produce collagen.

Botox Preparation: Does filler require numbing?

We typically recommend some form of numbing. I personally prefer to use ice instead of a numbing cream. Ice helps to decrease the size of the blood vessels so they are smaller targets, and we find that ice feels better to the patient than traditional numbing options.

Botox Bruising: What now?

Bruising is common concern from patients in aesthetic medicine is bruising. At Lifescape Aesthetics, we approach every treatment with a dedicated focus on helping you achieve your beauty goals while ensuring optimal safety and outcomes. Learn more about post-Botox bruising and how to prevent it here.

Can I Get Filler? Is there anyone who wouldn’t be a good candidate for filler?

Pregnancy and breastfeeding are direct contraindications. Outside of that, virtually anyone is a candidate for fillers. We always start with a facial assessment though to ensure you have no concerns or questions.

Are there any other options other than filler to help with crepiness around the mouth?

Procedures such as Microneedling with Radiofrequency can definitely improve texture around the mouth. These treatments typically have about 24 hours of down time, but may take up to two to three days depending on the extent of the treatment.

To learn more about the best options for you, schedule a facial assessment with Dr. Heather McGee today.