Are Lip Fillers and Botox Different?

Botox and lip fillers are two popular cosmetic treatments that can help improve the appearance of your lips. Botox is a toxin that is injected around the mouth to relax the muscles and reshape the lips.

Lip fillers

, on the other hand, are a minimally invasive procedure that can add fullness and definition to the lips, giving them a natural-looking volume. While both treatments use a numbing cream to make the procedure painless, they are not the same.Botox is used to relax the muscles around the lips, while lip fillers are used to match the shape of the lips and add volume.

After the procedure is finished, your healthcare provider may gently massage your lips to absorb the filler. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the use of lip fillers in people under the age of 21.If you sing, teach, speak, or lecture for a living, carefully weigh the risk of having temporarily altered lip function compared to the benefit of a defined lip.Botox lip turning involves injecting 4 to 6 units of Botox above the upper lip in the center (near Cupid's bow) and near the corners of the mouth. This helps relax the muscles (orbicularis oris) that connect to the upper lip, allowing it to relax and bend outward, making it look larger and more defined in shape. To treat a gummy smile, this may also involve injections to relax the levator muscles of the lips (levator labii superioris alaeque nasi), which extend from the sides of the nose to the upper lips.On average, your healthcare provider will insert 1 milliliter (ml) of lip filler into your lips, which is about one-fifth of a teaspoon.

Lip fillers are very safe when performed by an experienced healthcare professional, including a plastic surgeon, dermatologist, or cosmetic surgeon. The filler is ideal for people who have experienced a loss of volume over time or for those who are simply born with thinner lips.One of the most common misconceptions around lip treatments is that fillers are the ideal solution for every patient. While filler is commonly used to address lip-related concerns, Botox is needed to treat more complex problems, such as vertical lip lines that result from movement rather than simple loss of volume. A licensed healthcare professional must perform all dermal filling procedures using only FDA-approved fillers injected with a syringe.Schedule a follow-up appointment with your healthcare provider two weeks after the lip filling procedure.

If you want to increase the size of your lips, consult a healthcare provider who specializes in lip fillers to discuss your options. It may require maintenance appointments to maintain its appearance.