Botox isn’t the only brand for treating wrinkles anymore. If you’re looking to smooth out your skin, you might be wondering about Dysport, another popular brand for botulinum toxin injections.
Both Dysport and Botox are used to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, especially lines caused by repeated facial expressions. Either one can help you get rid of frown lines, crow’s feet, brow furrows, bunny lines, a gummy smile, large masseters, or a bumpy chin. So what’s the difference?
Here’s the tea on the two products.
The Difference Between Botox and Dysport
Botox has been the go-to brand for botulinum toxin injections for decades. Dysport, its newer sibling on the block, creates a similar wrinkle-reducing effect that shows up faster. While Botox results might take a week to appear, Dysport results tend to show up after a couple of days.
The primary active ingredient in both brands is the same, but Dysport uses a different protein that allows it to spread more. It is also measured differently — you might need three Dysport units to get the same effect as one Botox unit. Different manufacturers lead to different formulations, dosages, and costs.
Aside from that, there’s not much difference. The final treatment cost of a Dysport treatment will often end up being similar to the equivalent Botox treatment, depending on your provider. Patients have the same side effects and risks — a potential for temporary swelling, redness, slight pain, and bruising which usually resolves within a couple of days.
At the end of the day, Botox and Dysport are both good options for treating wrinkles and fine lines. Both brands last roughly four months, contain the same primary active ingredient, and provide a safe and noninvasive treatment method.
When to Use Each Brand
Botox is FDA-approved to treat horizontal forehead lines, glabellar lines, and crow’s feet around the eyes. It is also approved for conditions like hyperhidrosis, chronic migraines, and cervical dystonia.
Dysport is FDA-approved for facial wrinkles and some therapeutic uses, including limb spasticity.
Since Botox doesn’t diffuse quite as much as Dysport, it may be a slightly better option for small treatment areas such as the crow’s feet. Dysport can diffuse a little more, so it may be good choice for larger areas such as forehead lines. Both brands will work well for either treatment area, though.
Most patients don’t need to switch between Botox and Dysport — they’re very similar products. You can use whichever brand has been working for you. If one brand is no longer giving you the results you want, you may want to try the other.
Where to Get Your Botox or Dysport treatment
If you’re new to botulinum toxin treatments, we recommend looking for an experienced and highly trained injector before committing to a brand. Experience is far more important than which brand the provider uses. An experienced provider can also tell you if one option is slightly better for your specific goals.
Beauty Boost Med Spa in Newport Beach, CA, offers Botox and Dysport injections from the most qualified nurse practitioners and physician assistants. We treat forehead lines, frown lines, crow’s feet, under eye wrinkles, and more. Each treatment takes just a few minutes to perform and includes a two-week follow-up.
Schedule a consultation today to discuss treatment options for your aesthetic goals.
