Botox and Filler: Which One Is Right for Me? — Wrinkle and Volume Decision Guide

Treatment Guide

Botox and filler are both given by injection, but one reduces movement and the other fills volume. Based on its Ultrasound ViewTox and filler lineup, Mason Clinic, near Exit 7 of Sinnonhyeon Station in Seoul, sets out how to sort concerns about wrinkles, volume and the facial line, and how to choose.

What do Botox and filler address?

Botox (botulinum toxin) is an injection that temporarily reduces the nerve signals to a muscle, easing excessive muscle contraction, while filler is a preparation injected beneath the skin to fill sunken areas or refine the contour. Botox acts on movement; filler acts on volume.

On the Mason Clinic menu, filler and Botox are listed separately within Skin Balance, and Botox for muscles and special areas is injected after an Ultrasound View check. Contour & Balance, which plans facial contour and volume area by area, and Tangle Fit Lip Balance, which plans lip filler and Botox together, are chosen by the same criteria.

If these concerns sound familiar, read this first

Choosing becomes easier once you first separate whether the wrinkles appear when you make an expression, or are visible even when your face is at rest.

• Those who want preventive treatment before expression wrinkles deepen
• Those needing volume in sunken areas such as the nasolabial folds, under-eyes or chin
• Those whose face looks wide due to the square-jaw muscle or enlarged salivary glands
• Those concerned about thin or asymmetric lips
• Those who want to compare Botox and filler to see which suits them

What to tell us before the treatment

Even with aesthetic treatments, there are times when it is better to adjust the timing according to how you are feeling that day. If any of the following apply to you, please tell us during the consultation.

• If there is active inflammation or infection in the treatment area
• If you are pregnant or breastfeeding
• If you are taking medication such as anticoagulants, or have had a recent treatment
• If you have had an allergic reaction to a specific ingredient
• If you have recently had toxin or filler in the same area

Wrinkles from movement, or shadows from volume loss?

Even with the same wrinkle, when the cause differs, so does the approach. In consultation we distinguish and check the following four.

• Expression wrinkles — Wrinkles formed by repeated muscle contraction. We first consider the option of controlling the movement.
• Volume loss — Sunken areas cast shadows that make the face look older. We consider the option of filling.
• Elasticity wrinkles — Wrinkles that form as the skin itself loses elasticity. We address texture and elasticity together.
• Sagging — Weakened support lets the facial line slide downward. Volume alone may not resolve it.

The four often overlap, so we confirm which carries more weight before deciding the order. If the concern is a face that looks wide, we use ultrasound to determine whether fat, muscle or the salivary glands are the cause. Sometimes all three are present together.

How Mason Clinic checks

We do not choose the product first. We check the condition of each area, then decide what to use and how much.

1. One-on-one consultation with the directorWe first check the area of concern, your previous treatment history, any medication you are taking, and any allergies.
2. Skin assessmentWe use ultrasound to assess skin thickness, the fat layer and the muscle layer separately, and if the lower face is the concern, we also check the muscle layer and the salivary glands.
3. Treatment planningBased on what we have found, we decide the extent and method, and also set apart what does not need to be done now.
4. Treatment and follow-up guidanceInjectables, tips and shot counts are opened in front of you and recorded, and we explain the recovery period and when to come back for the next check.

How are Botox and filler divided?

It is not a matter of which is better, but of what change you are trying to address. The components of Mason Clinic's Contour & Balance, Ultrasound ViewTox and Tangle Fit Lip Balance, arranged by concern, are as follows.

The “main target” in the table is the direction each treatment aims for. Sometimes the two are used together, so we sort this out area by area in consultation.

When Botox is considered first

• Those whose wrinkles stand out when making expressions, in areas like the glabella, eye area, forehead and around the mouth
• Those whose lower face looks angular because of a well-developed masseter
• Those whose enlarged parotid or submandibular glands make the area around the jawline look prominent

When filler is considered first

• Those needing volume in sunken areas such as the nasolabial folds, under-eyes or chin
• Those who want to fill volume-deficient areas like the cheekbones and jawline
• Those concerned about thin or asymmetric lips

For the lips, how the balance between filler and Botox is divided depends on the condition of the lips and the surrounding muscles, so we plan them together as Tangle Fit Lip Balance. If the reason your face looks wide is fat rather than muscle or the salivary glands, we also consider Slinique™ V, a lipolysis injection, and if sagging is present as well, please see our Lifting guide too.

How do onset time and duration differ?

When results appear and how long they last depend on the treatment, the area, the product and your individual condition. The reference points given in Mason Clinic's treatment guides are as follows.

• Area and extent — dosage and product differ depending on which area is treated
• The balance of causes behind the wrinkle — whether expression wrinkles or elasticity wrinkles are the main cause
• The product used — each product has different properties, so duration differs
• Habits such as clenching or chewing on one side, and how much you use your expressions
• Previous treatment history and when the last treatment was

Costs can be checked in the Non-covered Services Guide. Treatment prices vary by area, materials, and patient condition.

Authorship, review and treatment principles

This article was written and reviewed by Kim Hyun-joo, Director of Mason Clinic. Decisions about treatment are made after your condition has been checked at the consultation. For Botox in muscles and special areas, the injection site is located while checking the muscle layer, salivary glands and blood vessels with ultrasound.

• We use only products whose genuine-product and proper-dosage certification has been verified.
• All injectables, tips and shot counts are opened in front of you, then photographed and kept on record.
• We have a response system in place for emergencies.
• Consultations and treatments are carried out by the director in person.

Frequently asked questions

Related information

• Contour & Balance — Treatments that look at facial contour and volume together.
• Ultrasound ViewTox — A guide to Botox injected while checking the muscle and salivary glands with ultrasound.
• Tangle Fit Lip Balance — A guide to the treatment that addresses lip volume and line.
• Skin Health Column · Toxin and filler: two injections with different roles — How the roles of the two injections differ.
• Skin Encyclopedia · Botulinum toxin — How the toxin works.
• Skin Encyclopedia · Filler — What filler is and where it is used.
• Treatment Guide · Lipolysis Injections: How Do Face and Body Differ? — The criteria for choosing between Slinique™ and Slinique™ S.
• Treatment Guide · Acne Treatment: Medical Care or Peeling, Which Comes First? — The criteria for sorting acne and pore concerns.

This column is general medical information provided to aid understanding. It does not guarantee the results of any specific treatment and does not replace a medical consultation. Treatment results and the course of recovery vary from person to person. Please confirm what is appropriate for your own condition through a consultation.