Cosmetic surgery used to be the only option if you wanted to modify your facial features. In recent decades, however, injectable treatments like Botox and fillers have become a popular way to enhance your face with minimally invasive methods.
With so many surgical and non-surgical options, how do you know which one to choose? And can injections be a substitute for surgery? Henry Ford Health facial plastic surgeon Robert Deeb, M.D., provides the facts about these cosmetic procedures.
What Can Injectables Do?
In the right hands, Botox® and fillers can have amazing results. “A well-placed injection can improve certain signs of aging without surgery,” says Dr. Deeb.
Botox might be right for you if you want to temporarily smooth or soften specific areas, such as:
- Crow’s feet (wrinkles at the outer corners of your eyes)
- Frown lines (the “11” wrinkles) between your eyebrows
- Horizontal forehead wrinkles
- Lip lines
Fillers may be a good option if you want to add or restore volume to certain parts of your face. They can help plump areas that have become thinner with age. These injections can also temporarily fill in deep wrinkles.
You might consider fillers if you’re concerned about:
- Hollowed or thin cheeks, including the area under your eyes
- Jawline that’s smaller or less defined
- Marionette lines (creases from the corners of your mouth down to your chin)
- Nasolabial folds (creases from the sides of your nose to the outer corners of your mouth)
- Thinning lips
- Wrinkles around your mouth
What Can Cosmetic Surgery Do?
Because cosmetic surgery is, well, surgery, it offers results not possible with injectables. For example, a skilled plastic surgeon can remove unwanted fat or excess skin from your face or neck, giving you a firmer, more youthful appearance. Cosmetic surgery can also reshape or lift parts of your face, such as your lips, eyelids or browline.
“Surgery offers a long-term solution for issues that fillers and injections cannot fix,” says Dr. Deeb. “For example, a facelift can tighten muscles and remove loose skin, restoring your face and neck to a more youthful position.”
Henry Ford Center for Cosmetic Surgery
Facial plastic surgery offers a long-term fix for:
- Browline that’s drooping
- Ears that stick out too far
- Facial imbalance, such as a chin that’s too large or too small
- Hooded eyes or sagging eyelids
- Loss of volume in your cheeks or lips
- Nose with an unwanted shape or size
- “Jowls” or sagging skin on the jawline and lower cheeks
- Sagging or crepey skin on the face
- Unwanted fat on the face
Deciding Between Injectables and Surgery
“The first step in deciding what procedure you need is to ask yourself which feature or area you want to address,” says Dr. Deeb. “Though fillers and Botox can smooth or plump certain features, they are less effective in lifting sagging skin and cannot remove fat or change the structure of your face. And likewise, you don’t need a facelift to smooth one or two wrinkles or temporarily plump your lips.”
Sometimes, however, determining exactly what you want isn’t as easy as it sounds. Maybe you want your eyes to look younger, but you don’t know if you need to smooth crow’s feet or lift the browline. This is where speaking with a licensed, experienced provider can help.
“Request a consultation with a skilled facial plastic surgeon who also provides injections or works with a skilled injector,” says Dr. Deeb. “Then, they can provide honest information about your surgical and non-surgical options.”
You should also keep in mind these key differences between injectables and surgery:
- Maintenance: Fillers and Botox have temporary results, usually lasting 3 to 12 months. Surgery is a long-term fix, lasting many years or even a lifetime, depending on the procedure.
- Downtime: Fillers and Botox require little or no downtime, so you can return to regular activities quickly. After surgery, you may need several days or weeks to recover.
- Cost: Fillers and injectables cost less per treatment than surgery. However, getting repeated injections over many years can add up.
- Results: Botox and some fillers provide fast results, sometimes within hours. Results from cosmetic surgery require several weeks of healing for full results.
Whatever procedure you decide, always choose a skilled, licensed provider. “Every procedure has risks, such as undesirable results or infection, but a qualified specialist can minimize these risks,” says Dr. Deeb. “Always see a board-certified and experienced cosmetic surgeon and look at their before and after photos. Your face is a valuable asset, and you deserve an expert who can give you the best possible results.”
Reviewed by Robert H. Deeb, M.D., a board-certified facial plastic surgeon who sees patients at Henry Ford Medical Centers - Grosse Pointe Cottage Building and Lakeside.
