Botox: the long-term effects, without the myths
What science actually documents after years of neuromodulator, the myths to set aside, and Health Canada’s safety benchmarks.
The eye area is delicate, and it’s where the confusion is most common. Do you need neuromodulator or filler? The right answer depends on the exact type of line bothering you, not on a trend.
Filler, when volume is missing
We favour hyaluronic acid if you have a hollow under-eye, a marked groove beneath the eye, or a general loss of volume in that area. In other words, when the line or shadow is there even at rest, face relaxed. The gel physically restores volume where it’s missing, and the shadow eases.
Neuromodulator, when it’s movement
We lean toward the neuromodulator if your lines show up mostly when you smile: the classic crow’s feet at the side of the eye, those expression lines that vanish when the face is at rest. There, there’s nothing to fill, the muscle needs relaxing.
The mirror test
Look at yourself, neutral face, then smile.
- The line is there even without expression: think filler.
- It shows up mostly when you smile: think neuromodulator.
Under the eye, the skin is thin and the margin for error is slim. This isn’t a zone to improvise in: we assess first, dose lightly, adjust after.
For an optimal result, combining the two is sometimes the right answer, but never by default. We settle it with an assessment, where we look closely at your eye area before proposing a plan.
