Botox and fillers: The Perfect Combination

At Epione we consider patient education one of our primary purposes. We believe that one key to patient satisfaction is aligning the results we can offer, and do our best to achieve, with the expectations of our patients. Patient education is fundamental to this relationship. And an educated patient typically has a better understanding of the post-procedural at-home aftercare that is often key to maximizing their results.Dr. Ourian^™ is a big proponent of combining Botox injections and fillers such as Radiesse, Restylane and Juvederm to achieve optimal results for the patient who wishes to address the wrinkles on her face and obtain a more youthful look.Why Botox AND fillers? It is important to understand and distinguish between two types of facial wrinkles: dynamic and static. Dynamic wrinkles occur in people of all ages. The creases that you see between and around your eyes when you squint are examples of dynamic wrinkles. They appear temporarily when a muscle contracts and causes the overlying skin to crease like an accordion. When Botox is injected into a muscle, it blocks the nerve impulse from reaching that area, and as a result, the muscle weakens. As the muscle weakens, the skin overlying the muscle relaxes and the wrinkles in the skin gradually soften and often disappear.Static wrinkles are always visible, even when all the facial muscles are at rest. Static wrinkles cause the deep grooves between the nose and mouth known as naso-labial folds, or smile lines, and tend to develop in skin that has thinned and stretched as a result of the aging process. Dr. Ourian^™ uses fillers to plump up the groove from beneath.There are even some anecdotal reports suggesting that Botox helps slow down the breakdown of the filler due to less movement in the area by reducing muscle contractions.