Patients often arrive asking for “botox” when they need filler, and vice versa. That is understandable: both are injections against aging, but they solve opposite problems. Ever Dermatology in Apgujeong explains the difference, plus the map of which areas belong to which tool.
Two mechanisms, two targets
Botulinum toxin relaxes overactive muscles: it treats wrinkles caused by motion, such as forehead lines, frown lines and crow’s feet. Filler is a gel that restores volume: it treats what sank or flattened, such as cheeks, tear troughs, nasolabial folds, lips and chin. The test question is simple: does the line exist only when you move your face, or is it there at rest? Lines that appear only with movement point to botox; deficits present at rest point to filler.
The area map
The upper face is botox country: forehead, glabella and eye corners, where motion wrinkles dominate. The mid and lower face is mostly filler country: cheeks, under-eyes, folds, lips, chin and jawline. Crossovers exist. A square jaw from masseter muscle is botox work, not filler; deep static forehead lines etched into the skin may need both; a gummy smile and lip flip are botox techniques in filler territory. The injector’s diagnosis draws the line, not the product trend.
Timing, longevity and combining
Botox shows in 3-7 days, peaks at two weeks and lasts 3-4 months. Filler shows immediately and lasts 9-18 months by area and product. They combine routinely: botox quiets the motion while filler restores the volume, often in one visit, sometimes sequenced two weeks apart for precision. On budget, botox is cheaper per session but recurs more often; filler costs more upfront and stays longer.
Ever Dermatology maps your lines and hollows at consultation and prescribes by mechanism, consulting international patients in Apgujeong. Make faces at the mirror before you come; noting which lines move gives the consultation a head start.