What is the difference between Botox and filler?
Neurotoxins and fillers both go in by needle, so they are easy to confuse. Keeping them apart matters most when a reaction shows up and you have to say what you were given.
Toxin and filler are not the same product
Botox is a brand of botulinum toxin, and fillers are a separate group of injectable products. One does not stand in for the other, and a provider should be able to say which one they recommend for your concern and why. Leave with the product's name and a printed sheet about it.
Telling toxin from filler in your own case
Take these to the consult to tell the two apart for yourself.
- What is the product, and which one is it: a neurotoxin or a filler?
- What change do you expect, and over what time frame?
- How long does the provider think it will last, and what happens as it wears off?
- Can it be reversed if you are unhappy with the result?
If a provider recommends both, ask why each is needed and whether they belong on the same day.
If you want the toxin side explained, read the overview of botulinum toxin therapy from the American Academy of Dermatology and the Cleveland Clinic page on Botox injections, their results and side effects. If you want the filler side, read the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery page on injectables and soft tissue fillers. Reading both gives you the words for the consult.
Which product, and which reaction to report
Go to the consult with your questions on a list. Ask for aftercare instructions and the clinic's number for questions once you leave. Mild, expected changes can be reported at a follow-up. Sudden severe pain, vision changes or trouble breathing is an emergency, so call emergency services.
When two sources warn differently
Sources may describe the same product with different cautions. Go through them with your provider instead of picking one on your own.