Botox and dermal fillers are frequently confused, and they do opposite things. Understanding which one your concern calls for saves both money and disappointment.
What is the actual difference?
Botox relaxes muscles. It treats lines created by movement — crow's feet when you smile, forehead lines when you raise your brows, frown lines between them. Effects appear over several days and last roughly three to four months.
Fillers restore volume. They treat lines and hollows that are there whether your face moves or not — the folds from nose to mouth, thinning lips, flattened cheeks. Effects are immediate and typically last considerably longer.
Which do I need?
A rough test: if the line disappears when your face is completely still, it is a movement line and Botox is the tool. If it stays, it is a volume problem and filler is the tool. Many faces have both, which is why the two are commonly combined in one visit.
What about the mouth specifically?
This is where a dental practice has an advantage. Lip support, the height of the bite, and the position of the teeth all determine how the lower third of the face is framed. Sometimes what looks like a filler problem is actually a worn or collapsed bite — and no amount of filler fixes that. See Juvederm dental and facial filler.
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