This article is for readers in Ann Arbor, Michigan who are deciding between Botox and soft tissue fillers, or wondering how the two fit together in one plan. It rests on one university medical source and ends with questions about upkeep.
What Botox is for
According to www.yalemedicine.org, "To help minimize the visible effects of aging, botulinum toxin injections and soft tissue fillers serve different purposes: Botulinum toxins soften lines by preventing muscles from contracting when we talk, chew or make facial expressions."
What fillers are for
The same page describes the other product: "Soft tissue fillers smooth wrinkles and help plump up “hollowed out” areas of the face, such as in the cheeks where facial volume has been lost during the aging process."
For a broader look at the filler category, see Dermal Fillers: What They Are, Types, Benefits & Side Effects.
Two jobs, two maintenance questions
Because the two products serve different purposes, a plan that uses both has two jobs to maintain. Ask the provider to split the plan into the product that relaxes muscle movement and the product that adds volume, and to price the return visits for each one.
Who places a filler
Before you pick a provider for filler work, read Choosing a Plastic Surgeon for Dermal Fillers from plasticsurgery.org and bring its points to the consultation.
Keeping the two products straight in a quote
Ask for each product by name on the quote. A line that says only "injections" does not tell you which of the two jobs you are paying for or which one you will need to repeat.
Reading about the toxin side
For the toxin half of the plan, a PMC article on the neurotoxin content of Dysport, Botox and Xeomin looks at how long the response to each brand may last, so read it before you agree on a return schedule for the toxin.
The question to ask before committing
Ask which of the two products the plan depends on most, and what each one costs to keep over the next year.