Botox and dermal fillers are incredibly popular nonsurgical cosmetic procedures that are helping thousands of people across America look younger for longer, but they are not completely without controversy. There are many myths and rumors surrounding the efficacy and safety of such treatments, many of which are completely unfounded. Today we’re going to debunk those myths and get to the truth about Botox and fillers!

**1. Botox is toxic and dangerous**
Many people believe Botox to be a harmful form of Botulism and therefore dangerous. Whilst it is true that Botox is derived from a purified protein from the toxin, it is totally safe for its designed use. To put it simply, Botox is FDA approved, and the FDA only ever approve cosmetic treatments that are thoroughly researched, trialed and proven to be safe.

**2. Once you have Botox or fillers, you must continue to have them forever more**
Many people believe that once you start having Botox injections or dermal fillers, your skin will sag and wrinkle more than ever before if you stop the treatments. This is not true. When the effects of Botox or fillers wear off, your skin will look exactly the same as it did before the treatment and no worse. It’s simply that most people are so happy with the results of their treatments that they continue to have them for many years to come!

**3. Botox and fillers are unbearably painful**
There will always be some amount of discomfort when having cosmetic injections, but it is by no means unbearable. Many compare the sensation of Botox injections to that of a mosquito bite, which is certainly not excruciating. Fillers can be a little more uncomfortable, but the majority contain the numbing agent lidocaine to minimize discomfort, making the procedure a walk in the park. 

**4. Botox makes you lose all facial expressions**
Botox only relaxes muscles at the point of injection, which means that it cannot completely inhibit facial expressions. Provided that it is administered by a skilled physician who knows exactly where to inject the substance, patients will still maintain an entire range of facial expressions, only with fewer lines!

**5. Botox only works for facial wrinkles**
Botox has a vast range of uses aside from smoothing out lines and wrinkles. It can relieve migraines, neck and back pain, facial twitches, jaw joint pain, excessive sweating and even depression. Recent research also suggests that it could be used to manage the symptoms of rosacea.

**6. Fillers and Botox cannot be used together**
You don’t have to pick between one or the other; fillers and Botox can give incredible results when used together. Dermal fillers are only temporary because they are gradually broken down and absorbed by surrounding tissues, and this process is accelerated in particularly mobile areas, for example around the mouth of across the forehead. Botox is designed to gently inhibit muscle movement, so when injected into the same area as a filler, it can help the filler to last longer. You can usually have Botox and filler injected during the same treatment session.

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