While fillers and injectables such as Botox can produce beautiful results, many people don’t fully understand what they can and cannot do. Even with all the information available online, it’s difficult to know what may be right for their individual goals and needs. With treatments ranging from injectables to office procedures and surgery, it is important to learn the benefits and limitations of each. Here, we debunk some of the myths and get the straight facts from two highly skilled facial plastic and
reconstructive surgeons at Hilger Face Center in Edina.
“The first myth,” says Dr. Sofia Lyford-Pike, “is that fillers and Botox are interchangeable, and can address multiple concerns of the face. It can be hard to understand how each treatment works and how they can complement each other. Botox does not address volume and fillers don't get rid of active wrinkles."
She explains that this confusion sometimes arises due to how products are marketed, and the minimal amount of information contained in ads.
“You see before and after photos and see a significantly rejuvenated face, often advertising for one treatment, when multiple have been used synergistically. It’s important to give patients realistic expectations. I have seen ads for injectables showing faces that clearly had surgical intervention. Botox weakens facial muscles, keeping them from squeezing and forming lines on the skin. Fillers, on the other hand, add volume to an area.”
“Another myth about fillers is that they can lift,” says Dr. Jenna Van Beck. “A lot of patients come in, put their hands up to their face, pull back and ask, ‘What filler can do this?’ Fillers cannot address skin laxity or the loss of elasticity in the skin. What patients are often looking for in this situation is a result obtained with a facelift or neck lift. Using filler to try to address skin laxity can often result in very unnatural results."
While office-based procedures can be beneficial for this issue, they have limitations. “Patients can invest a lot of resources for a small amount of improvement to address this issue when, ultimately, surgical correction to remove excess skin will achieve the true outcome that many are seeking.”
Fortunately, at Hilger Face Center, many enhancement options are available.
“It makes us very unique because as cosmetic surgeons, we know where the line is between what fillers can do and when it is in the patient's best interest to consider surgical treatments,” says Dr. Van Beck.
Adds Dr. Lyford-Pike, “It is important to point out that it's not one versus the other. In-office and surgical procedures complement each other wonderfully and address different things. Surgery can shift volume, address lax skin, improve facial contouring, and lift your eyebrows, but can't prevent wrinkles from forming like Botox
and fillers can help fill volume in quick and easy ways that surgery can't."
"There are many incredibly skilled injectors in multiple fields, from nurses to MDs, who really understand the different techniques, get great results and work together with surgical colleagues. At the Hilger Face Center, we try to consider all options for each patient, surgical and non-surgical," says Dr. Van Beck.
When a patient comes in for a consult, whether it’s for filler, Botox or surgery, a full facial analysis is done.
“We then listen to what their concerns are and the goals they're hoping to achieve,” she says. “We like to help patients learn about all the cosmetic approaches we are lucky to have these days. We discuss approaches to the multiple aspects of aging, from skin surface concerns to wrinkles, to volume to laxity; considering how a combination of injectables, skin resurfacing, and surgical procedures apply to each specific person. We try to go over what they can realistically expect with each of them and then tailor their treatment.”
There is a different awareness today when it comes to maintenance and optimizing how you look for as long as you can.
“What we are seeing is a general increased awareness and consideration about facial health that was not common before. Patients are thinking about prevention and maintenance which is great. Often this starts with taking care of their skin with sunscreen, retinols and moisturizers, and then transitioning to peels, laser and Botox. So, there really has been a shift from waiting until things are so bad that you come in to optimizing as much as you can as you go."
Working with younger patients, explains the doctors, also means that later on when they need or want to choose a surgical option, that relationship and trust have already been established.
"At the Hilger Face Center, all of our staff are valuable resources to help patients navigate cosmetic treatments,” says office manager and past plastic surgery nurse, Priscilla O’Neill. ”In addition to our doctors, we have a small, tight-knit group of multi-faceted and skilled staff, with backgrounds in esthetic services, nursing, scheduling. Every staff member has a depth of knowledge and experience beyond what you'd expect, and was selected for what they add to the patient's experience."
To find out how this team of doctors and office staff can help you look and feel your best, go to thefacecenter.org.
5050 France Ave S. Suite 150 | 952-844-0404
"At Hilger Face Center, we try to consider all options for each patient, surgical and non-surgical."