Smoker's lines - Should I use Juvederm and Botox in combination?

Botox and Juvederm are an option for lines around the lips. The Botox can be used to help relax the lines and the Juvederm can be used to fill them in.

When using Botox around the lips, great care must be taken, as drooling and difficulty speaking can be side effects. In addition, even with proper infiltration, difficulty with speaking some letters can occur. People with occupations dependent on speaking or singing should probably avoid Botox injections around the lips.

For a more permanent solution to the wrinkles around the lips, consider either an ablative laser technology such as CO2 laser or dermabrasion to smooth out the wrinkles. There is more down time associated with these procedures than with Juvederm but the results are long lasting.

The best fillers for smoker lines are Restylane or Juvederm.

I do not recommend using Botox around the mouth. With Botox you could carry a risk of decreased lip movement. Any decrease in lip movement is very noticable.

"Smoker Lines" can often be difficult. When deep, I believe several modalities must be used in combination to get best results.

• Fillers, such as Juvederm, add volume to the depth of the wrinkle to "fill the valley".

• Small amounts of Botox can be used to relax the muscle just a little and further smooth.

• Resurfacing techniques smooth from the outside, kind of like "sanding to smooth".

• Mild resurfacing can be done with Microdermabrasion.

• More aggressive resurfacing can be done with Active-FX Laser, which gives incredible results but does require several days of recovery time.

Generally, a filler such as restylane and juvederm provides good quality but short term results.

Perioral laser may be a more lasting treatment of smoker's lines.

If you are talking about lines on the upper lip, then my preference is to use facial fillers like Juvederm. I am not a big fan of Botox injections into these fine lines. Yes, it can work, but if too much is used you can get a lip droop that looks like you had a stroke, and this will not improve for 4-6 months.