Posted: August 22, 2016
By Sacha Obaid
Injectable treatments such as BOTOX® and JUVÉDERM® are hugely popular these days. Why?
- They’re readily available.
- They’re non-invasive.
- They can produce great results.
- They’re safe and FDA-approved.
These are just a few reasons why more and more people are choosing to enhance their skin with these treatments. And yet, there are plenty of myths and misinformation about them. How much do you know about injectables?
Myth #1: BOTOX makes your muscles so stiff that you can’t express emotion.
This is one of the most common BOTOX myths out there. It got started because when the treatment was first available, many celebrities were using too much of it, and their results were plastered throughout magazines and television.
When it comes to BOTOX, less is more. With the right amount, your wrinkles are smoothed out, but you’re still able to express a full spectrum of emotion.
Myth #2: BOTOX and dermal fillers are the same thing.
Nope! BOTOX and dermal fillers like JUVÉDERM work in completely different ways. BOTOX relaxes your facial muscles, allowing deep wrinkles, such as forehead frown lines, to smooth out. JUVÉDERM VOLUMA®, BELOTERO BALANCE®, and other dermal fillers plump up the skin, increasing volume lost due to aging. This has the effect of smoothing out fine lines in the treated areas or, in the case of BELOTERO BALANCE, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and lines around the mouth and eyes.
This means you can actually have both kinds of treatment if you want them. Together, they have a synergistic effect that reduces the appearance of both fine lines and deep wrinkles.
Myth #3: BOTOX and dermal fillers are toxic and aren’t safe to use.
BOTOX is derived from a potent bacterial toxin, but the amount of BOTOX that’s used in each treatment is so tiny that it cannot cause any harm, so it’s a safe treatment.
Dermal fillers like JUVÉDERM VOLUMA and BELOTERO BALANCE, and the fat-dissolving KYBELLA™ treatment are made from molecules that occur naturally in our bodies. This means that adding more of them isn’t harmful at all.
Myth #4: Injectables are dangerous because they can spread throughout the body.
This is definitely not true. Injectables are formulated to limit their spread beyond the injection points. If you follow your doctor’s instructions after having a treatment, there’s no risk of injectable substances “traveling” to other parts of your face or body. You won’t end up with dermal fillers in your hands or feet! Your after-care instructions are designed to prevent movement of the injectable to make sure you get the best results.
Myth #5: Injectable treatments are very painful.
It’s easy to see why this myth came about. After all, injections are given to the face, so it’s reasonable to think that they would hurt! The truth is, it’s much less painful than you might think! There’s some discomfort with injectable treatments, but the needles that are used are so fine that there’s very little pain at all. Some doctors use topical anesthetics to reduce the discomfort even further.
Myth #6: Only liposuction can remove fat from specific areas of the face.
This used to be true, but it’s not anymore, thanks to the development of a product called KYBELLA. It’s an injectable treatment that is used to dissolve fat from beneath your chin in order to reduce the size of a double chin. It takes several sessions of 30 minutes each to complete the treatment, and, like other injectables, there are very few side effects and little recovery time required.
Myth #7: Injectables are only for women; men don’t use them.
Women are definitely the main ones using injectables like BOTOX and BELOTERO BALANCE, but guys are starting to catch up! Since the year 2000, the number of men getting BOTOX has increased by a massive 355%, and the number of men getting dermal fillers has increased by 93%. Men still make up a small percentage of the total, but they’re catching on to the benefits of injectable treatments!
Myth #8: Injectables are best used once your skin starts visibly aging.
Nope! In fact, the opposite is true. With BOTOX, for example, if you have treatments before wrinkles become deep-set, you can actually “train” your facial muscles not to make the expressions that cause lines to worsen.
Many people these days start BOTOX and other injectable treatments in their 20s, and there’s definitely good reason to do so. If you begin these cosmetic treatments before your skin starts to visibly wrinkle and sag, you will look youthful for longer.
Myth #9: Once you start getting injectable treatments, you can’t stop.
Some people worry that BOTOX makes wrinkles worse once you stop using it. The fact is, if you have BOTOX or JUVÉDERM and then decide that you don’t want any more treatments, there are no negative side effects. The treatments aren’t habit-forming, and they don’t make you look worse once they wear off. When the treatment effects are gone, you’ll look the same as you did before having the treatment.
Myth #10: Injectables need some preparation and downtime.
There’s no special preparation needed for any of these injectable treatments, and after having injections, you can go right back to work. Most people only experience minor swelling or redness at injection sites.
Myth #11: Injectable treatments are so quick, you can get them in your lunch hour.
Trick question—this one’s actually true! A set of BOTOX or BELOTERO BALANCE injections takes only a few minutes, and a Kybella treatment takes about 30 minutes. A JUVÉDERM/VOLUMA treatment takes a little longer, but it’s still only 30 to 45 minutes. They truly are “lunch-hour cosmetic procedures!”
Banish Those Myths—And Those Lines!
It’s important to get all of the BOTOX facts and info about other injectables before you make a decision about having a cosmetic procedure. But with all of these common injectable myths mastered, you can feel great about having any of these facial rejuvenation treatments!