A decade ago, the best defense against the hands of time was surgery—a brow lift, cheek lift or eyelid lift would do the trick to erase wrinkles and make an aging face appear smooth. By 2014, we've realized that volume loss, which often results in wrinkles and sagging, is a huge contributor to aging, and the problem can be fixed by non-surgical procedures such as Juvederm fillers and Botox injections.

If you're starting to consider your options, you've come to the right place. We chatted with dermatologist Dr. Vince Bertucci, president elect of the Canadian Dermatology Association, about the amazing potential of Juvederm and Botox, and the ways that it can shape your face for a more youthful appearance.

According to Dr. Bertucci, aging is a combination of three things:

1. Deteroriation of the skin: This includes fine lines, wrinkles, textural changes and pigmentation changes.

2. Descent: When a woman is youthful, her face looks like an inverted triangle that is wider through the mid-face and narrows at the chin. As she ages, the triangle inverts and she develops jowls, which appear to widen the jaw.

3. Deflation: She loses volume throughout her face, causing more sagging and wrinkling. As an extreme example, "If you think of a massively obese individual, the person has basically no wrinkles," says Dr. Bertucci. "Why? Because everything is filled out and supported. If that same person quickly loses a hundred pounds, that skin hasn't changed in size, but the support structure is no longer there, so all that skin sags."

Aging itself isn't bad, but it can have some annoying side effects. For example, a woman might feel young, but her face doesn't properly reflect her mental state. “If you look at the stats, 77 percent of women wish they could look as young as they feel," says Dr. Bertucci.

Her face might even start to convey inaccurate emotions such as sadness or anger, even though she feels relaxed or happy. This disparity can occur when lines on the forehead, between the lines and around the mouth become exaggerated with age.

If you can increase volume and relax wrinkles and fine lines, you will have a more refreshed complexion that reflects light, making you appear younger and even happier. That’s where Juvederm and Botox come in.

The difference between Juvederm and Botox:

Juvederm is a brand of hyaluronic acid fillers. They are applied to the face via needle and syringe to add volume and contouring to areas such as the cheeks, lips and nasolabial folds (the lines that run from the nose around the sides of the mouth). The latest launches include Voluma (for cheeks and chin), Volbella (for lips) and Volift with Lidocaine (for nasolabial folds). Doctors sometimes use the fillers off-label for areas of the face that are not approved by Health Canada.

Botox (also known as Botulinum toxin) is used mostly for the upper face to relax dynamic lines—the wrinkles that are formed when we make expressions and use our muscles. Though Botox has gotten a bad rap for making faces appear rigid and expressionless, it can actually be customized to minimize wrinkles without impairing movement in the face.

The facts:

Cost: $3,000 to $5,000 for a full face treatment (fillers in the cheeks, lips, under the eyes, around the mouth and Botox in the upper face) for a woman in her forties or fifties.

Treatment time: For best results, Dr. Bertucci recommends dividing the treatments into two separate appointments so you have time to get used to your new look. Each appointment will take approximately 45 minutes and should be spaced one to two weeks apart.

Pain level: “The only area that might be a bit uncomfortable is the lips,” says Dr. Bertucci. “And in my office we use a topical anesthetic. Though, I always say that women are the best patients because women do all sorts of things to themselves. [Such as waxing, eyebrow plucking, chemical peels.] And they can tolerate way more than men. And honestly, it’s not that uncomfortable. The needles are small and there are techniques that help to diminish and distract from the pain.”

Down time: There is very little down time. Occasionally, a woman might experience minimal bruising that can be covered with makeup. If the bruising is more severe, a doctor can zap the spot with a laser to help the area heal more quickly.

Length of results: Fillers can last from 1-2 years. Botox generally lasts 3-4 months.

Extra tidbits: Juvederm fillers are adjustable, so your doctor can mold the filler with his fingers if certain areas look uneven. If you aren’t ultimately happy with the results of your hyaluronic acid fillers, the injections can be dissolved with hyaluronidase.

Think fillers and Botox might be a great option for you?

It's time to find a doctor. These tips are useful, whether you are looking for a surgeon or dermatologist.

Read more: 10 things to do before you undergo cosmetic surgery