If you’re not entirely pleased with the face you see in the mirror, you’re certainly not alone. If you’re motivated to take steps to improve that face, you won’t be alone either. In early 2016, the North American facial injectable industry was valued at $2.1 billion. By 2024, it’s poised to be valued at a staggering $5.8 billion.
Injectables are minimally invasive, low-risk, affordable and increasingly long-lasting. They’re the closest thing we have to a “magic bullet” to turn back the hands of time – subtly and almost immediately. Increasing numbers of women and men are beginning to consider facial injectables a staple of their beauty routines. Their Houston med spa appointments are as regular and as important as their hair-salon appointments.
Unless you’re familiar with facial injectables, however, you may feel somewhat bewildered about your options. In some respects, all injectables are quite similar. The injections themselves usually take just a few minutes at most. Immediately after an injection, you may feel tenderness or experience light bruising. As soon as the injection is administered, though, you’ll gradually begin to see improvements, with the full benefit likely visible by the next day.
Here, we’ll shed light on the differences between four of the most popular and effective injectables available: Botox, Restylane Lyft, Restylane Silk and Juvederm Ultra XC.
Botox
With more than six million Botox injections administered every year, Botox is the most popular non-invasive cosmetic procedure on the market. Botox is a purified form of botulinum, a powerful neurotoxin responsible for the foodborne illness, botulism.
When precisely injected in small amounts, Botox blocks the receptors between nerve cells and the muscles into which it’s injected. This temporarily paralyzes those muscles and blocks the release of a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. Without acetylcholine, muscle cells are unable to contract.
Botox is most effective for softening the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles between the eyebrows (glabellar lines) and around the eyes (crow’s feet). Houston Botox is also used to relieve facial spasms, excess sweating, chronic migraines and other medical conditions.
Restylane Lyft
Restylane Lyft is a hyaluronic acid gel used to lift and restore volume to the cheeks, fill in moderate to severe smile lines (nasolabial folds), and add volume and definition to the jawline, cheekbones and chin. Houston Restylane can also soften the appearance of acne scars. In clinical trials, nearly 75 percent of those receiving Restylane Lyft reported seeing improvement a year after injection.
Restylane Silk
If your lips are the area you’re interested in plumping up, Restylane Silk is the ideal injectable for you! Restylane Silk is the first injectable approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to augment the lips and smooth fine wrinkles around the mouth. Like Restylane Lyft, Restylane Silk is a hyaluronic acid gel – the difference is that the hyaluronic acid particles in Restylane Silk are smaller and smoother. More than 75 percent of patients report enjoying lip fullness and enhanced definition six months after the injection.
Juvederm Ultra XC
Juvederm Ultra XC is another product designed to plump up your pucker. Whether you were born with thin lips or your lips have thinned over the years, this hyaluronic acid injectable will change that. The XC designation means that this filler includes lidocaine, which minimizes discomfort during treatment. More than 75 percent of patients reported being happy with their lips a full year after treatment with Houston Juvederm. And, when being retreated after one year, they needed less product to achieve desired results.
If you’d like to enhance your appearance, but are reluctant to undergo a surgical procedure to achieve noticeable results, injectables are ideal! In fact, by combining multiple injectables to improve different problem areas, your results may be just as satisfying as if you had pursued plastic surgery in Houston!
