Is there a difference between “wrinkle-reducing injections” and “Botox”?

This is a question we get asked A LOT in our Port Macquarie clinic. The short answer is no! Botox® is a well-known brand of Botulinum Toxin, which is the prescription medication used for wrinkle-reducing injections as well as for treating a wide range of clinical conditions. Due to its well-known branding, you may hear anti-wrinkle injections in general being referred to as ‘Botox’ for short, but there is no actual difference between the two terms. This is why the patients we speak to sometimes feel confused about why they can’t find ‘Botox’ listed as a service on our website. 

Right, so what’s Botulinum Toxin? 

Botulinum Toxin essentially relaxes muscles. Injections of Botulinum Toxin can be used cosmetically to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles by strategically targeting certain facial muscles.
Just like there are many brands of Paracetamol, there is more than one brand of Botulinum Toxin. Botox of course, is one of these brands, but in Australia there are other registered brands such as Dysport® and Xeomin®. When it comes to anti-wrinkle injections, we don’t believe any of these brands to be superior to another. All three have been shown to be safe and very effective. They all do the same job and do it well, in the hands of a skilled medical professional, of course! 

Okay, so what’s the difference between anti-wrinkle injections and fillers? Which ones do I need? 

Both fall under the category of cosmetic injectables. Which basically means medical grade injections under the skin to achieve certain cosmetic or aesthetic results. Botulinum Toxin based wrinkle-reducing injections stop our muscles from talking, so is most effective on those muscles in our face that do a lot of moving, such as our forehead and around our eyes when we express emotion. Dermal fillers are used to add volume in places and underlying structures of the face that start to lose their mojo as we age. So both can be used to minimise the appearance of wrinkles, but it really depends where you feel needs correcting. The general rule is if we’re treating the top half of the face (the eyes and above), we use Botulinum Toxin, and for the bottom half (cheeks, mouth and jaw), we use fillers. The only way to know exactly what you need, however, is to talk to a trained medical professional who specialises in cosmetics and aesthetics. 

At Port Medical Aesthetics Clinic, our highly qualified team are here to help you achieve a smoother, natural appearance. Our aim is always to provide subtle work that compliments our patients' needs. 

We are experienced in wrinkle-reducing injection treatments and would love to chat with you more about how we can help.