Question: I’m 44 years old and have developed wrinkles around my eyes and lines around my mouth. I’ve read ads for both Botox® and Juvéderm® XC but am confused about which would work best for me. Are there significant differences between the two products?
Answer: Botox® and Juvéderm® XC are excellent products that function in completely different ways. In fact, I use both products together on a very regular basis because they compliment one another so well.
Botox® relaxes the muscles beneath the skin that cause grooves and wrinkles. It is injected in a very precise manner in terms of the location on the face and the number of injections needed to treat an area. Common treatment sites include the grooves between the eyebrows, crow’s feet, and forehead lines. Once these muscles that create the lines are relaxed, the skin lines soften, and may sometimes disappear all together. BOTOX® is also the first and only preventive treatment approved by the FDA for adults with Chronic Migraine (15 or more headache days a month, each lasting 4hours or more). This application requires a thorough consultation and evaluation by a physician who has undergone detailed training for such use.
Juvéderm® XC on the other hand, does not affect the muscles beneath these lines and grooves; rather it functions as a filler similar to a putty, which elevates the depression in the skin giving it a smooth appearance. This is also a product that is injected into the skin in a very precise manner. Juvéderm® XC is most commonly known as a product used to “plump†thin lips but has an amazing amount of applications; from correcting lines and folds around the mouth and lips, erasing the grooves between the eyebrows, lifting indentations caused by scarring from an injury, or to improve the look of deep dimples caused by the formation of cellulite.
These products, used together, can make a significant difference in the overall appearance of a person. They offer a very non-invasive alternative to surgery for someone that wants to look years younger. As always, it is important to find a physician with significant experience and training in the use of these products. Dr. Foglietti is a national trainer for the Allergan Corporation, maker of both Botox® and Juvéderm® XC, and is among the top 10% of physicians in the country with experience using these products.
