Whether you’re new to Botox or you’ve been getting injections for years, it’s helpful to know all the terms. Here’s a refresher on the vocabulary you might need before your next treatment.
## Injectables
Both Botox and fillers are called injectables. These treatments are minimally invasive and don’t require surgery. As the name suggests, injectables are injected into the face, either into targeted muscles or under the skin. Injectables can relax fine lines and wrinkles, slim the face, or add volume to the cheeks or lips. 
## Botulinum Toxin
Botulinum toxin is made from a protein found in a bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. Botox injections contain botulinum toxin and a saline solution that helps the toxin settle into your muscles. 

The botulinum toxin prevents the release of a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. Without this neurotransmitter, messages from the brain never arrive at the muscles, and the targeted muscles don’t tense or contract. This can smooth your face and ease the appearance of wrinkles.

Botox is just one injectable made from the botulinum toxin. Other injectables that use botulinum toxin include Dysport and Xeomin.
## Fillers
Fillers are not the same as Botox. While Botox relaxes muscles to ease wrinkles, fillers are substances that can be injected underneath the skin. Fillers add fullness or volume to certain areas of the face, giving you a more youthful appearance. Botox lasts a few months, but fillers will last two years or more. 
## FDA Approval
Botox has FDA approval. This means that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is completely convinced that Botox is safe. Numerous large-scale clinical trials using Botox have demonstrated that it’s a safe and effective treatment. Since Botox is FDA approved, you can be confident that this treatment is the real deal. 
## Board Certification
Injectables are safe, but only in the hands of a qualified injector. If you’re getting fillers, make sure your injector is board certified. This certification means your injector is a licensed physician and has expertise in offering dermal fillers or other cosmetic treatments.
## Numbing Agent
Depending on the treatment you’re getting, your injector might offer you a numbing agent. This is a local anesthetic that will numb the area to reduce pain. Numbing agents can be a cream your injector puts on the area before starting. Some numbing agents, like lidocaine, can also be added to the filler to reduce sensation in the area during the injection. 

Botox is less painful than fillers. For most people, it just feels like a pinprick or a tingling feeling that goes away quickly. Before a Botox injection, you may slightly numb the area with ice.
## Allergan
Allergan is a global pharmaceutical and cosmetics company. They are one of the top manufacturers of drugs and medical devices used in aesthetics, as well as the makers of Botox and other injectables. They also offer training and certification to injectors.
## Touch-Up
We often recommend having a follow-up appointment about two weeks after your Botox injection. You should be seeing the full effects of Botox, so it’s a perfect time to evaluate the results. If you’re not completely happy, a touch-up can do the trick. This is an additional injection of a small dose that can help you achieve your desired results. 
## Your Questions Answered
If you have any more questions about Botox, cosmetic injections, or terminology, get all your answers during a free online consultation with one of our doctors.

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