The differences between Botox®, fillers and threads

One day, you’ll wake up with more grey hairs than usual and those dreaded crow’s feet will become a prominent part of your face. Ageing causes significant changes to the skin, with collagen (the protein responsible for the structure of the body’s connective tissues) decreasing over time. A loss of collagen results in thinner skin that becomes more fragile with age. This, in turn, leads to wrinkles, stretched skin, and volume loss in the cheeks and under the eyes.

Although ageing is a natural process that shouldn’t be feared at all, some people may opt to go for cosmetic procedures such as Botox®, fillers, and threads to retain their youthful look. While this is so, these procedures aren’t solely limited to people who want to maintain a youthful appearance, with many young Hollywood celebrities popularising Botox®, fillers, and threads among Millennials and Generation Z.

You’ve probably heard a lot about Botox®, fillers, and threads and are unsure of what is true and what is a sensationalised account of a cosmetic procedure gone wrong. Well, here are some facts about each procedure to help you make the best possible decision, courtesy of Skin Renewal:

Botox®

Botulinum toxin (commercially known as Botox®) is a neurotoxic protein that when used in small doses, can treat health issues and serve as a cosmetic procedure. Botulinum toxin is injected into the muscle under the skin, in areas where wrinkles and facial lines caused by muscle movement are most visible. It works by relaxing the face’s targeted muscle movements, inhibiting you from making movements that cause wrinkles and facial lines.

Botulinum toxin is perfect for the treatment of crow’s feet, forehead lines, and other wrinkles on the face. Doctors also use this ‘miracle poison’ to curb migraines, teeth grinding, excessive sweating, among many other ailments.

When done excessively, Botulinum toxin can have a disastrous effect on the patient. We’re all familiar with the plastic Hollywood look. You know, the person that is unable to express any emotion on their face, and who looks like they had to muster up immense strength to smile. However, when done in moderation, Botox® can be very efficient in slowing down signs of ageing, while avoiding the ‘frozen look’ or permanent blank stare that comes with being unable to move facial muscles.

Fillers

Fillers have been all the rage in the beauty world in recent years. Popularised by celebrities like Kylie Jenner, fillers can help diminish signs of ageing by adding volume into the skin and facial structure. They are used to add volume to cheeks, under eyes, temples, lips, marionette lines, and nasal labial folds. They are mostly made of hyaluronic acid (HA), which occurs naturally within the body in connective, epithelial, and neural tissues.

An over-use of fillers in the lips can result in unsightly, balloon-like lips. The key is to get fillers in moderation and stay away from unlicensed black market filler injections — which are surprisingly gaining popularity throughout the globe.

Threads 

Unlike fillers and Botox®, threads cannot add volume or stop facial movements in the same manner. Threads involve a temporary suture being embedded in the patient’s targeted concern area to maintain a youthful aesthetic. There are 4 different types of threads, and they each have to be customised to the patient’s specific situation, as threads aren’t recommended for everyone who wants to reduce signs of ageing.

The 4 types of threads:

Suspension sutures

These types of threads lift hanging skin to create a youthful look, in a similar way to a facelift. They typically last for 18 months before being absorbed by the body. However, the effects of these threads remain for much longer than that.

Bared threads and anchor threads

These types of threads lift and tighten the skin. Barbed threads are thinner than anchor threads, which is why they are used for subtle lifting whereas anchor threads are used for treating specific problem areas that require extra attention. They last for 6 to 9 months.

Monofilaments

Monofilaments neither lift nor tighten the skin, but they strengthen the skin instead. By stimulating the skin to produce collagen, these threads improve the skin’s appearance. They typically dissolve within 6 months and require more replacements than other types of threads.

Speciality threads 

Speciality threads are used in specific cases, such as for non-surgical nose jobs, or to soften deep lines and wrinkles.

Ageing is a natural process that everyone will eventually experience. You can choose to age gracefully by opting for Botox®, filler or threads. It all depends on your individual situation and what course of action is best to remedy the problem areas on your face. With Skin Renewal, you can find a aesthetic doctor near you to help you get started.