Hyaluronic acid and botulinum toxin: complementary?
Written and reviewed by Dr Bernard Hayot, ophthalmologist, RPPS 10003926226.
What is hyaluronic acid in aesthetic medicine?
Hyaluronic acid is a sugar-derived product naturally present in the human body. It gives volume to the skin and maintains its elasticity. Ageing gradually slows down its production.
Hyaluronic acid injections help to rebuild facial volume while moisturising the skin and preventing puffiness.
It is a natural treatment that is resorbed, like the hyaluronic acid naturally present in the body, which makes it reversible. Its effect gradually fades after one year. The injection therefore has to be repeated after a certain time in order to maintain the effects of the treatment.
What is botulinum toxin in aesthetic medicine?
Botulinum toxin, also known as Botox, entered medicine through ophthalmology, as a treatment for an eyelid condition called blepharospasm. Doctors noticed that it also helped to erase wrinkles from patients’ faces. Botulinum toxin has been used on the French aesthetic medicine market since 2003.
Once injected into the patient’s face, it relaxes the muscles and the dermis, making the first signs of ageing, wrinkles, invisible. It is an effective treatment that poses no real danger to the skin.
Are hyaluronic acid and Botox injections complementary?
Hyaluronic acid and Botox can be combined to rejuvenate the face in two different ways:
- An anti-ageing lift: this technique aims to correct age-related slackening of the skin by restoring sagging volumes. Injecting Botox relaxes the contracted muscles responsible for the sagging, while injecting hyaluronic acid restores the lost facial volume, giving the face a toned, firm appearance.
- Filling wrinkles: this technique aims to erase wrinkles and the tired expression caused by ageing. Botox is injected to soften the muscles, while hyaluronic acid fills in the folds formed by the wrinkles.
The results of Botox and hyaluronic acid injections are visible as early as 15 days after the injections, giving the face a youthful, relaxed appearance. It is worth noting that the effect of hyaluronic acid is immediate and stabilises after 15 days, whereas that of Botox, or botulinum toxin, develops gradually over 5 to 10 days. Neither treatment is permanent: hyaluronic acid disappears from the body after about a year, and Botox after 6 months.
How do I know which injections are right for me?
Botox smooths wrinkles, while hyaluronic acid fills the creases they leave. Which of the two is the better choice?
It all depends on the patient’s skin, state of health, habits and aesthetic wishes: results vary with the injection chosen, hyaluronic acid, Botox or a combination of the two.
Before any injection, a preparatory consultation with the doctor is essential in order to find the right solution for each patient’s face. At this first consultation, the doctor explains the ins and outs of each possible procedure.
This page is for information. It does not replace a consultation: every situation is judged on examination.