Beauty
Botox, Restylane or Juvederm: Which is right for you?
Istockphoto Image by: Istockphoto
Beauty
Botox, Restylane or Juvederm: Which is right for you?
As non-surgical procedures change and evolve we want to provide updated information about the latest treatments. Make sure to read about the more recent advancements of dermal lasers and injectible fillers.
Botox and injectable fillers such as Restylane and Juvéderm top the list of most popular non-surgical anti-aging treatments in Canada, according to a survey of 2,500 physicians who perform such procedures. Conducted by Medicard Financial, a company devoted to financing cosmetic procedures, the survey found that Canadians received 126,554 filler injections and 142,374 Botox injections in 2005—and this number is growing.
According to the Medicard findings, the typical injection recipient is a female resident of Ontario, British Columbia or Quebec and is between the ages of 35 and 50. Interestingly, while 72 per cent of the population seeking treatments is in that age category, the second largest group is between the ages of 19 and 34. And while women account for 83.5 per cent of the market, the number of men seeking non-surgical anti-aging treatments continues to increase.
Here's the goods on these popular injectables, plus all the info you need to determine which one is right for you.
1. Botox
A Botox treatment involves a very small amount of a specific purified protein produced by the clostridium botulinum bacterium injected with a very fine needle into the small muscles of the face. It temporarily 'freezes' or weakens the muscles, reducing your ability to squint or frown or show excessive worry lines.
What's it used for?
Botox is most commonly used in the glabellar muscle to erase frown lines between the eyebrows. It's also used on the horizontal lines on the forehead, for crow's feet around the eyes, and it can be used on the muscle that brings down the corner of the mouth, and in the neck.
How long does it last?
It usually lasts three to four months.
How much does it cost?
The charge for Botox varies from about $10 per unit if administered by a family physician or trained nurse to $15 to $17 per unit if it’s injected by a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon. Your forehead could require about 12 to 16 units; frown lines can take 25 to 30 units and crow's feet need 12 to 15 units per eye (men will need almost double that amount).
What are the benefits?
The procedure is quick – it takes only about 20 minutes, so it can be done on a lunch hour, and requires no down time. Botox has no effect on sensory nerves, so you'll still have normal feeling in the injected areas. The pain is minimal; the injections themselves feel like little bug bites. No sedation or local anesthetic is required.
What are the side effects?
Possible side effects include bruising and a temporary headache.
Prefer to try topical treatments? Read up on the best anti-aging skin-care products for every age.
Page 1 of 2 - Read page 2 to determine if Restylane or Juvéderm is right for you!
2. Restylane
Restylane is a type of hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring sugar-like molecule found in most tissues of the body, including the skin. Hyaluronic acid retains water like a sponge so it helps to hydrate the skin and increase volume and density. It gradually diminishes over time due to age, hormones, exposure to the sun and medications.
What is it used for?
Restylane is used to fill wrinkles, accentuate eyebrows, smooth under-eye hollows, enhance lips, increase volume in the upper cheek and naso-labial region (the area between the nose and mouth where laugh lines can develop), and define or accentuate contours of the cheek, chin and jaw line. It's also used to fill acne scars, camouflage early jowls and to make changes in shape or symmetry; for example, it can soften a bulbous tip or a 'ski jump' depression on the nose
How long does it last?
It depends in part on how much is injected and where (the closer to the bone, the longer it lasts). A typical lip treatment might last up to six months but laugh line corrections could last up to nine months and cheek augmentation even longer.
How much does it cost?
Typically it costs upwards of about $1,000, but the cost depends on several factors. A 20 or 30-minute treatment of the brow, eyes, cheek, jaw, mouth, lips and bridge of nose can cost about $2,500.
What are the benefits?
Restylane can be used on all skin types and colours. Since it's a non-animal product, there's no risk of disease transmission or allergic reaction. Some facial areas require only a single treatment and results are immediate. It is available in half vials that are useful for smaller touch-ups of places like the upper lip or to fill very fine lines or areas where there's little fat.
What are the side effects?
Side effects include possible redness or swelling that normally lasts less than seven days. It can cause slightly more swelling on the lips than other injectables.
3. Juvéderm
Like Restylane, Juvéderm is a form of hyaluronic acid, but this one was developed using different filtration and molecule manipulation techniques.
What is it used for?
Juvéderm treats moderate to severe facial folds, raises the upper part of eyebrows, smooth under-eye hollows, enhances lips, and increases volume and define contours of cheeks, chin and jaw line. It, too, can be used for minor rhinoplasty (nose reshaping).
How long does it last?
It lasts upwards of six months.
How much does it cost?
Juvéderm costs upwards of $1,000. Each .8 cc syringe costs between $550 and $700. The lips usually require one syringe; the naso-labial line needs one syringe on each side; and the cheeks take one to three syringes on each side.
What are the benefits?
It can be used on all skin types and there’s no risk of disease transmission or allergic reaction. Some facial areas require only a single treatment and results are immediate. It causes minimal swelling and pain.
What are the side effects?
The most common side effects are temporary redness, tenderness, swelling or bruising. Rare cases of nerve and blood vessel injury have been reported.
We love skin care! Check out these pieces to make sure your skin stays in tip-top shape:
Caring for adult skin: How to get rid of acne
10 editor-tested face masks for acne, dull skin and dryness
Beauty tips: Make the most of your beauty sleep
Page 2 of 2
Botox and injectable fillers such as Restylane and Juvéderm top the list of most popular non-surgical anti-aging treatments in Canada, according to a survey of 2,500 physicians who perform such procedures. Conducted by Medicard Financial, a company devoted to financing cosmetic procedures, the survey found that Canadians received 126,554 filler injections and 142,374 Botox injections in 2005—and this number is growing.
According to the Medicard findings, the typical injection recipient is a female resident of Ontario, British Columbia or Quebec and is between the ages of 35 and 50. Interestingly, while 72 per cent of the population seeking treatments is in that age category, the second largest group is between the ages of 19 and 34. And while women account for 83.5 per cent of the market, the number of men seeking non-surgical anti-aging treatments continues to increase.
Here's the goods on these popular injectables, plus all the info you need to determine which one is right for you.
1. Botox
A Botox treatment involves a very small amount of a specific purified protein produced by the clostridium botulinum bacterium injected with a very fine needle into the small muscles of the face. It temporarily 'freezes' or weakens the muscles, reducing your ability to squint or frown or show excessive worry lines.
What's it used for?
Botox is most commonly used in the glabellar muscle to erase frown lines between the eyebrows. It's also used on the horizontal lines on the forehead, for crow's feet around the eyes, and it can be used on the muscle that brings down the corner of the mouth, and in the neck.
How long does it last?
It usually lasts three to four months.
How much does it cost?
The charge for Botox varies from about $10 per unit if administered by a family physician or trained nurse to $15 to $17 per unit if it’s injected by a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon. Your forehead could require about 12 to 16 units; frown lines can take 25 to 30 units and crow's feet need 12 to 15 units per eye (men will need almost double that amount).
What are the benefits?
The procedure is quick – it takes only about 20 minutes, so it can be done on a lunch hour, and requires no down time. Botox has no effect on sensory nerves, so you'll still have normal feeling in the injected areas. The pain is minimal; the injections themselves feel like little bug bites. No sedation or local anesthetic is required.
What are the side effects?
Possible side effects include bruising and a temporary headache.
Prefer to try topical treatments? Read up on the best anti-aging skin-care products for every age.
Page 1 of 2 - Read page 2 to determine if Restylane or Juvéderm is right for you!
2. Restylane
Restylane is a type of hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring sugar-like molecule found in most tissues of the body, including the skin. Hyaluronic acid retains water like a sponge so it helps to hydrate the skin and increase volume and density. It gradually diminishes over time due to age, hormones, exposure to the sun and medications.
What is it used for?
Restylane is used to fill wrinkles, accentuate eyebrows, smooth under-eye hollows, enhance lips, increase volume in the upper cheek and naso-labial region (the area between the nose and mouth where laugh lines can develop), and define or accentuate contours of the cheek, chin and jaw line. It's also used to fill acne scars, camouflage early jowls and to make changes in shape or symmetry; for example, it can soften a bulbous tip or a 'ski jump' depression on the nose
How long does it last?
It depends in part on how much is injected and where (the closer to the bone, the longer it lasts). A typical lip treatment might last up to six months but laugh line corrections could last up to nine months and cheek augmentation even longer.
How much does it cost?
Typically it costs upwards of about $1,000, but the cost depends on several factors. A 20 or 30-minute treatment of the brow, eyes, cheek, jaw, mouth, lips and bridge of nose can cost about $2,500.
What are the benefits?
Restylane can be used on all skin types and colours. Since it's a non-animal product, there's no risk of disease transmission or allergic reaction. Some facial areas require only a single treatment and results are immediate. It is available in half vials that are useful for smaller touch-ups of places like the upper lip or to fill very fine lines or areas where there's little fat.
What are the side effects?
Side effects include possible redness or swelling that normally lasts less than seven days. It can cause slightly more swelling on the lips than other injectables.
3. Juvéderm
Like Restylane, Juvéderm is a form of hyaluronic acid, but this one was developed using different filtration and molecule manipulation techniques.
What is it used for?
Juvéderm treats moderate to severe facial folds, raises the upper part of eyebrows, smooth under-eye hollows, enhances lips, and increases volume and define contours of cheeks, chin and jaw line. It, too, can be used for minor rhinoplasty (nose reshaping).
How long does it last?
It lasts upwards of six months.
How much does it cost?
Juvéderm costs upwards of $1,000. Each .8 cc syringe costs between $550 and $700. The lips usually require one syringe; the naso-labial line needs one syringe on each side; and the cheeks take one to three syringes on each side.
What are the benefits?
It can be used on all skin types and there’s no risk of disease transmission or allergic reaction. Some facial areas require only a single treatment and results are immediate. It causes minimal swelling and pain.
What are the side effects?
The most common side effects are temporary redness, tenderness, swelling or bruising. Rare cases of nerve and blood vessel injury have been reported.
We love skin care! Check out these pieces to make sure your skin stays in tip-top shape:
Caring for adult skin: How to get rid of acne
10 editor-tested face masks for acne, dull skin and dryness
Beauty tips: Make the most of your beauty sleep
Page 2 of 2
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