How Do I Know If I Need Botox or Fillers

It's my opinion than botox did not make me look younger. I'll go on to talk about what it did for me, but just before I do:

There are things other than botox and fillers that will significantly improve your skin. Have you tried Retin-A, glycolic acids or derma-rolling, otherwise known as micro-needling? I stopped having botox when I started a full on regimen with all of the above. Retin-A encourages collagen production and turns the skin cells over more regularly, leaving it feeling younger, plumper and firmer. It also reduces fine lines and wrinkles.

Glycolic acid does much the same as does derma-rolling.

If you are a little scared of cosmetic treatments then maybe these are worth considering first.

If you want to see results sooner rather than later, then that's when cosmetic treatment might be the way forward for you. You will see an almost immediate effect with botox and certainly with fillers. For me it takes around three days for the effect to kick in and, in a week to see the full effects.

Botox is very different from a filler. There seems to be quite a bit of confusion around the two.

Botox is a muscle relaxer and filler is used to plum out the skin in the areas that you consider need plumping.

What Will Botox Do?

Botox will stop you from using the muscles that produce the lines you are not happy with. You can have a full frozen effect or you can go for a more subtle look, where the muscles are merely relaxed slightly and there is still some movement.

I myself have had both. Whilst the completely frozen effect will have the smoothest effect, I found it to be too restricting and it felt rather heavy for the first few weeks. Not to mention the fact that I had quite a severe headache for a few days too. That’s not to say you will experience the same thing. We are all different.

Botox can also be used to stop excessive sweating.

What Won't It Do?

Botox will not plump the skin and make it look fuller. It isn’t generally used on laugh lines although it can be used elsewhere if you want to inhibit the muscles around other areas.

Botox leaves your system but the effects last for up to six months.

What Will Filler Do?

Filler will do as it suggests. It will fill the hollow spaces. It’s mostly used in the tear troughs and around the mouth (marionette lines) It can cause severe bruising and unlike botox, it stays in your system until it eventually dissolves. If you hate the look it gives you then you can have it removed by a professional.

What Won’t It Do?

Filler will not stop your muscles from moving.

You will have some discomfort for sure. Injections can be quite painful and I have found it varies depending on your provider and their particular technique. If you have a low pain threshold as I do then you might struggle.

Filler will be more painful and there is a higher chance of bruising.

I have bruised with botox injections. This mostly happens if the needle hits a vein and in bleeds. Bruises generally disappear within a week to ten days.

Why are you contemplating cosmetic treatments? Is it because you want to enhance your natural look or is it because you are in a bad place emotionally and you have recently been noticing all of the lines and wrinkles that were probably there before anyway, only you just didn’t notice or care?

This may not seem an obvious consideration, but it’s one that’s quite important when it comes to changing the face you see in your mirror every day.

It’s important to be in a good mental state before embarking on any sort of cosmetic enhancement, especially something that cannot be easily reversed.

If you are in a good place the I hope this summary helps you to make the right decision about which way to go. In any case I'd ask your provider to treat you conservatively in the first instance. That way you won't be overwhelmed and if you don't much like the effect then it won't be so dramatic a change.

If you've considered the options and the alternatives and still want to move forward with a cosmetic procedure then make sure you find a reputable practitioner. A recommendation is good. If you can't get that then do some research online before making a decision.