We’ve talked before about the importance of safety when undergoing treatment with smoothers like Botox® Cosmetic or fillers like Radiesse®. “Smoothing” injectable medications are used to relax the muscles that make frown lines and crow’s feet, while “fillers” are injectables used to fill in deeper lines and wrinkles like those “parenthesis” around your mouth.

We talked about the importance of finding an expert well versed in the anatomy of the face to perform your injections of both smoothers and fillers. There are a number of safety reasons for seeking such a professional – generally a board certified plastic surgeon – but there are cosmetic reasons, as well. In the right hands, these injections become a matter of art.

Patients see instant results with fillers like Radiesse® and Juvederm® used to fill in deep lines and plump lips. These results can last – in full effect –with a maintenance boost at about six-to-nine months after initial injections. These fillers are made to be absorbed slowly into the body, helping to boost your body’s natural collagen production. Collagen is the substance in our bodies that keeps our faces fuller and smoother. Over time, the body loses collagen, resulting in deeper lines and less fullness in the cheeks.

Initial injections will require more product than maintenance treatments. After six to nine months, the body has absorbed some of the product, and the initial results are beginning to fade. A lower dose of Radiesse® would be needed at this point to layer on top of the remaining product in the face and renew and revitalize the whole look. Both the initial and maintenance injections require an artist’s touch to get the results you want.

That artist’s touch comes into play with the injection of smoothers like Botox®, as well. As we age, some of our facial muscles become overactive, causing hyperdynamic wrinkles between our eyebrows, on our forehead and around our eyes and mouth. The injectable prescription products Botox® Cosmetic, Xeomin® and Dysport® are used in small amounts beneath the skin to relax and re-balance these overactive muscles. The result is a smoother, younger appearance.

A well-versed injector – like a board certified plastic surgeon – is able to inject in just the right areas to help lift and renew the look of your face, non-surgically. Botox treatment from an expert is undetectable.

Maintaining this look and getting even better results is a matter of maintenance, as well. Over time, receiving regular treatments not only prevents further wrinkling, but helps to soften the wrinkles you already have. Waiting too long between treatments means the loss of efficacy of the product and worsening wrinkles as those muscles once again begin to form frown lines. These injections will normally last about four months for those beginning a Botox regimen or those who have not maintained their injections. Over time, however, injections may begin to last as long as six months and the appearance of wrinkles you already have will improve.

The bottom line is once-a-year treatments with smoothers like Botox® may be a waste of time and money – unless you are looking for a particular look prior to a special event. However, maintenance of both smoothers and fillers can make all the difference in providing a more youthful appearance, now and long-term.