We’re aging and we’re grateful for it! If you love your lines, scroll right by this story. If you’re ready for something more serious than skin care, read every word. With more than 25 years of experience, Ellen Marmur, MD, creator of MMSkincare and founder of Marmur Medical in New York City, walks us through three popular injectables: neuromodulators (like Botox), hyaluronic acid filler, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy. “The most important part is finding a board-certified dermatologist who understands all the muscles that make up the puzzle of your face,” she says. Go to find-a-derm.aad.org to pinpoint (heh) a qualified MD near you. And feel free to refer to this article at your appointment!
Ellen Marmur, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist, creator of MMSkincare, and founder of Marmur Medical in New York City.
Neuromodulator
What It Is
“A live toxin called botulinum that’s injected in tiny amounts to block muscles in your face that create wrinkles,” Marmur explains. Brands that are FDA-approved include Botox (the original, with the longest track record); Dysport; Daxxify (which Marmur says tends to last the longest); Xeomin (which has fewer additives than the others); and Jeuveau. They’re all pretty similar, and the one used will depend on your derm’s preference.
What It Does
Smooths wrinkles so you look younger and more relaxed.
Why You Might Consider It
“If you have dynamic wrinkles—meaning they appear when you’re expressing—it will soften them. If your parents have deep wrinkles, getting Botox can help prevent them in your own face. And if you clench your jaw muscles, it can help ease that too,” she says.
What It Feels Like
“A little pinch!”
After-Care
Avoid lying face-down for a few hours.
How Long It Lasts
Around three to four months.
Cost
$400 to $500 per area.
“I do a lot of ‘one-dot tox’—just one injection in a single area—and you can take baby steps,” Marmur says. “Look in the mirror with your derm and talk about what bothers you. Then they can help you prioritize. You’re the boss, and you should be 2,000% psyched about doing something.”
Hyaluronic Acid Filler
What It Is
“Hyaluronic acid is a molecule that acts as a tiny sponge, and its whole job is to pull water to the sponge,” Marmur says. “When you inject it into the skin, it draws the body’s natural water to it and plumps up the space that’s been lost due to aging—picture a dry raisin turning into a grape. It can also add volume to places that never had it, like the chin.” Options include RHA4, which is great for a cheekbone pop and jawline definition; Restylane Lyft, which is Marmur’s desert-island filler because it works anywhere on the face; and Belotero, which helps erase lines and won’t bulk you up.
What It Does
“It plumps lips and cheeks, which flatten with age, and reduces laugh lines,” Marmur says. “When it’s injected high into the cheekbone, it adds a glow and supports the undereye area. And it can balance out the chin.”
Why You Might Consider It
You have wrinkles at rest.
What It Feels Like
Pressure or fullness. Numbing cream can be applied beforehand, and ice helps afterward.
After-Care
Skip excessive heat from baths and hot yoga for a few days after treatment to minimize bruising.
How Long It Lasts
“About 9 to 12 months,” Marmur says, adding that it’s reversible. “If you don’t like it, you can have it dissolved.”
Cost
$900 to $1,500 per syringe.
“Three to four days prior, avoid vitamin B, fish oil, aspirin, ibuprofen, and alcohol, which can increase bruising,” she says. “And ask for a cannula—a soft-tip needle. It’s more comfortable, and you reduce the risk of bruising.”
Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy
What It Is
“Platelet-rich plasma is the chicken soup in your body,” Marmur says. This is a treatment done with your own blood. “We draw blood out of your arm, then we take out the red blood cells, which are your growth factors, and we inject those back into your skin or scalp.”
What It Does
“It can stimulate cell repair and help boost collagen and elastin production. I inject it under the eyes to help with dark circles, in the jawline and laugh lines to tighten, and in the scalp to jolt hair growth.”
Why You Might Consider It
“You want an alternative to filler, or you have a thinning scalp.”
What It Feels Like
In the scalp, it’s like getting little mosquito bites; on the skin, you could feel a sting from the tiny injections.
After-Care
You may have redness and swelling for about three days.
How Long It Lasts
About six months or so.
Cost
Around $1,500 to $2,000.
“I love to pair it with a laser resurfacing treatment, like Clear + Brilliant, to boost results.”