Botox, Juvederm & Restylane: Which One is Best for You?
There are many options available when it comes to anti-aging treatments. To restore your youthful look, you can opt for Botox, Juvederm or Restylane. While all of these are different, there’s one common factor to the three: they are all injected into the skin. If you want to know which one is best for you, below is a detailed explanation that can help you.
Botox
Botox uses purified protein produced by Bacterium Clostridium Botulinum. This anti-aging treatment uses very fine needles to relax and weaken the tiny muscles of the face to address fine lines and wrinkles. This treatment is very effective in minimizing the lines between the forehead, eyebrows, corners of the mouth, around the eyes, and even in the neck.
Botox wears off after 3 to 4 months, which is why you have to come back to the dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon at least thrice a year for another round of treatment. The cost per injection could be anywhere from $10 to $17, and each part of the face could require 12 to 30 injections, depending on how deep the creases or wrinkles are.
Men and women can use Botox and it requires no recovery time. The whole treatment can be done at an average of 20 minutes. While side effects like bruising, swelling, and headaches may occur, these are only temporary.
Juvederm
Juvederm is a sterile gel made up of hyaluronic acid, which is a form of natural sugar found in the skin. There are three kinds of Juvederm and each of them is designed to target a specific area on the face. The Juvederm Voluma XC is intended for the cheek areas; the Juvederm XC addresses laugh lines, and the Juvederm Ultra XC is mainly used for lip enhancement.
Juvederm is generally safe and is expected to last for 4 to 6 months. The effect is somewhat immediate as you’ll see noticeable improvements right after leaving the doctor’s office. But the actual effect is expected to settle in after a day or two. The side effects are also very minimal.
Because Juvederm is generally thicker than Botox, a whole syringe is filled to administer the anti-aging treatment. Each syringe costs anywhere from $450 to $750 and around one to two injections are needed to address each facial area.
Restylane
Restylane is very much like Juvederm because it also uses hyaluronic acid as an anti-aging agent. Restylane can be used for the face, cheeks, and neck, as well as the hands and décolletage area. The only difference between Juvederm and Restylane is the latter’s Lidocaine content. Lidocaine is an anesthetic that can also help in improving skin hydration.
When Restylane is used on an area close to the bone, like the cheeks, its effect is generally longer. This is why this treatment is best preferred for cheek augmentation as it may last for almost a year. Lip treatments using Restylane may last for 6 months while laugh line treatments last for 9 months. When it comes to price, Restylane is generally more expensive than Juvederm. Each injection may cost anywhere from $1,000 to $2,500.
Now you should be able to choose which between Botox, Juvederm, and Restylane can address those fine lines and wrinkles best. Thanks to all these options, choosing the anti-aging treatment that suits your needs, preferences, and budget is now easier.