What to Pair With Botox and Filler for Even Better Results
- klosik
- Aug 21
- 8 min read
A Quick Recap: Neurotoxin, Filler, and Sculptra
As an injector, I’m a little biased… I get to offer patients SO MANY good treatment options! So let’s talk about some non-injectable treatments you should definitely consider pairing with botox! But FIRST, let’s review my favorite injectable treatments…
Botox and Dysport: Softening Lines and Preventing New Ones
My absolute favorite injection for patients to get started with is neurotoxin (Botox or Dysport). This treatment is excellent for dipping your toe in the world of aesthetics. It is effective, safe, easy, and offers gorgeous results. Harsh expression lines that have been etched over time, soften or fade with this treatment, and new lines are prevented for as long as a patient stays consistent with it.
Filler: Volume Restoration for Revitalizing Results
Then we have fillers (Restylane, Juvederm, RHA), which give the best dopamine hit–instant gratification! Let’s all be honest, who doesn’t love an immediate change! Most may think of bigger lips when they hear the term “filler”.
However, filler is best utilized in a more harmonized way. Sure, for a younger patient who just wants a bit of volume or shape in the lips or a pop in their cheeks (AND their facial structure and proportions allow for it), we can do that! It’s gorgeous. But where filler shines is for our patients who have seen visible aging in their face: from bone resorption, to soft tissue changes, to skin quality deterioration.
We will get to skin quality next, but filler to the areas of age related volume loss in a UNIFIED approach is the BEST. As we age, our tissue becomes less supported, and things start to sag and deflate. Filler is somewhat of a physical placeholder to these areas that are lacking. Filler can hide shadows, depressions, and generally replaces the volume that has been lost due to normal aging.
Sculptra: Collagen Stimulation With Long-Term Payoff
Is there something that is even better than filler!?! Yes, and it’s called Sculptra! Now, before I gush about Sculptra, filler is gorgeous. In defined areas of volume loss, it is my preference. Also if a patient has a deadline for needing to see improvement by, filler will get us there quicker.
But Sculptra, you guys, is magic. This treatment stimulates your fibroblasts to produce collagen and elastin, which then improves the quality of the skin itself! It is placed into areas of age-related volume loss, and then works over time to fill in the gaps.
Sculptra Takes Time
Because Sculptra requires multiple treatments, some may see this as a “downside”, but I kind of love. I would rather use something on my patients that works over time gradually, and that’s Sculptra. This product is typically done in a series of 2-6 vials, with single vials used for yearly maintenance for most. Sculptra will show visible results from 2-9 months from injection. And once results are visible, they last A LONG TIME. I just adore a product that works for you over time, even after that initial visit. Anything that will continue to give you benefit is giving you more bang for your buck.
When Should I Start Using Sculptra?
The sad truth is that we start losing a little bit of collagen even in our late twenties, and this speeds up as we get older. Sculptra (we love you), builds up our collagen so we don’t have to look as ragged (its harsh but true). If you’re in your thirties or 40’s, start using this product as preventative and you’ll need less vials as you age. If you’re in your 50’s or older, a series of 4-6 vials will get you the volume replacement you’ve lost, improve your skin quality, so you can then move into the maintenance approach past that.
The Best Non-Injectable Treatments to Add to Your Botox Routine
Okay, okay, now that I’ve gushed about which injection treatments you’re doing, let's talk about what you can pair with them .
Skincare and SPF: Your Anti-Aging Insurance Policy
Why Daily SPF Is Non-Negotiable for Aging Prevention
If you are coming in for treatments of any kind whatsoever, and you are not using SPF, what are you even doing?
In office treatments will quickly become futile if you are not doing the number one thing to keep your skin safe and slow down the visible aging process. You can get as much Sculptra, botox, and filler as you want, but if you are tanning or outside frequently without sun protection, your results will be short lived at best, and likely subpar.
Everyone knows the analogy that you can make a bed, and put clean sheets on it– but if you put a wrinkled, dirty blanket on top, it’s not going to look good. It will look like you didn’t even put new sheets on to begin with. Let’s take care of our investments for anti-aging, and not speed up the process by having sun damage to the max.
Choosing the Right Medical-Grade Skincare Products
Along with SPF being the most important, EASY thing you can make sure you are doing, good skincare is your INSURANCE policy to your in office procedures. Medical grade skincare will prolong your results from the corrective treatments you have done, and will show improvements in the skin quality over time if done consistently.
We carry simple skincare lines like Skin Better Science that patients can use a minimal amount of products with, as well as more in depth lines like Obagi, offering endless options for specific skin care concerns. There’s something for everyone.
Microneedling With SkinPen (and Optional PRF)
How Microneedling Stimulates Collagen Production
To combat skin changes, we want to stimulate collagen and elastin any way we can! From all directions. This is one of the biggest contributors to the beginning of visible aging... Lost collagen in the skin will look like laxity, fine lines and wrinkles, and increased pore size. . If we can stimulate higher amounts of collagen, we can maintain a more taut appearance to our skin which will keep all of us feeling and looking youthful!!
SkinPen is my recommendation for this. Doing microneedling along with your injections will only heighten your results, and prolong the time in between treatments, as static lines will not etch as easily when your skin quality is improved. Youthful skin has a glow to it, doesn’t it? SkinPen helps minimize all the beginning concerns patients see, usually starting in the early 30’s, and is easy!
What to Expect During a SkinPen Treatment
This procedure is done in office, numbing first for comfort. It usually causes bright pink skin for the day, possibly some light flaking for some, and then past that, most patients are not noticeably pink past the second day.
Benefits of Adding PRF for Enhanced Healing
This treatment can even be customized with PRF to allow for quicker healing and more potential for collagen stimulation, but stand alone it is a KNOCKOUT procedure. The affordability, minimal downtime, and improvement to overall texture and tone has me recommending this procedure to most everybody who has skin on their face.
Book Your SkinPen Appointment >
IPL for Pigmentation and Sun Damage
Another treatment that everyone loves for its effectiveness, easy recovery and great price point.
Best Candidates for IPL Treatment
For patients that have browns and reds– Do you struggle with sun damage and age spots? Do you have rosacea? Finding more broken capillaries around your nostrils? Have those little red “freckles”? IPL is the fit for you. You’ve done your botox, so your upper face is nice and smooth! But your complexion is brown and splotchy? IPL will make your face glow even more.
The Benefits of IPL Treatments
Not only does it give a beautiful result, it is safer for our skin to pull out all that past damage so our remaining skin cells can function better. Even with the best sun avoidance habits, all of us have lives. We know with kids and staying active and having hobbies, people will get some degree of unintentional sun damage. Being able to clear that up with IPL is such a great tool to take advantage of.
Morpheus8 for Skin Tightening and Texture
My last recommendation is great for patients who are noticing skin laxity that is mild or moderate. This happens as we age, and there is a good point in time where there are concerns of texture and laxity, but it’s not yet enough to need surgical intervention.
How Does Morpheus 8 Work to Rejuvenate The Skin?
Morpheus 8 is a radio frequency microneedling procedure that stimulates collagen through two routes of injury in the tissue. This, in turn, tightens up the tissue and helps minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Morpheus8?
For patients who need a bit more of a result than standard microneedling alone, Morpheus will help achieve really nice skin tightening, especially for that lower jawline, submental area. There are procedures that build on Morpheus8, and include other modalities along with it, but this is a great solution for those patients wanting to address laxity specifically.
Building a Customized Treatment Plan at Horizon Med Spa
Okay– that was a lot! But these are the treatments I recommend to patients who are doing injectables. Remember, injections help with specific concerns, but not ALL of your aging concerns. So if you’re reading this and looking for your next anti-aging investment, you’re off to a great start in choosing any one of these procedures!
Visit us at our Shawnee or Kansas City Plaza locations to combine your botox with treatments that will bring you the revitilization you're looking for.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pairing Botox With Other Treatments
What treatments pair well with Botox or Dysport?
Top non-injectable treatments to pair with Botox or Dysport include microneedling, IPL, Morpheus8, and medical-grade skincare with SPF. These enhance skin tone, texture, and long-term results.
Can I combine Botox and microneedling?
Yes! Microneedling stimulates collagen and improves skin quality, while Botox softens dynamic lines. When spaced correctly, they complement each other beautifully for a smooth, youthful appearance.
What is the benefit of pairing IPL with injectables?
IPL helps reduce sun damage, redness, and dark spots. When used alongside Botox or filler, it creates a more even complexion, boosting your overall glow and youthful appearance.
How does Sculptra differ from regular filler?
Sculptra works over time by stimulating collagen and improving skin structure, while filler offers immediate volume replacement. Many patients benefit from using both strategically.
Do I need skincare if I get injectables?
Absolutely. Medical-grade skincare and SPF protect your results, slow down aging, and improve skin quality. Think of it as your daily maintenance between visits.
What’s the best treatment for sagging or loose skin without surgery?
Morpheus8 is a top choice for mild to moderate laxity. It combines radiofrequency with microneedling to tighten and tone the skin, especially along the jawline and lower face.
Kimberly Losik, a board certified nurse practitioner, is the Founder, Owner and Medical Director of Horizon Med Spa and Wellness. Kimberly has earned multiple degrees including a bachelors in Kinesiology, a bachelors in Nursing, as well as a Masters in Nursing. For over a decade, she has earned experience in Orthopedics, Geriatrics, Internal medicine, Medical weight loss, aesthetics and anti-aging medicine. Her passion to help patients look and feel like the best version of themselves was the foundation of Horizon, which began in early 2020. Since then, she has attended numerous trainings, conferences and seminars to continue to offer patients the best solutions Additionally, she is a clinical trainer for the company Inmode, an internationally recognized leader in the aesthetic industry.
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