Botox® vs. Dysport®, and Hello Daxxify®!

Are lines and wrinkles affecting your confidence? With injectable treatments like Botox® and Dysport®, you can look and feel rejuvenated. While Botox® may be the most familiar name in wrinkle smoothing, options like Dysport® give you more choices so you can achieve your best results. 

What are Botox® and Dysport®?

Both Botox® and Dysport® belong to a group of injectable treatments called neuromodulators. They all use a compound called botulinum toxin, which temporarily interrupts the signals between the targeted facial nerves and muscles. As a result, the muscles can become smooth and release the skin from its wrinkles and creases. 

*Individual results may vary

Botox® vs. Dysport®: What are the Differences?

While they work in the same basic way, these two treatments have several differences. Both use a protein that helps the botulinum toxin remain stable and reach its destination, but the one used by Dysport® is smaller, which affects its properties. The primary differences between these two include:

The primary difference we have observed between Dysport® and Botox® is that for most people, Dysport® seems to start working sooner. The onset of the Dysport® effect is typically in 2-3 days, while Botox® may take 6-8 days to start working. 

People used to talk about Dysport® spreading a little bit more than Botox®, but it is felt that this difference is so minute that there is no material difference in terms of spread. 

In terms of the question of duration, neither brand has shown scientific evidence of better duration compared with the other. Unfortunately, in many cases, these products don’t last the full 3-6 months that many providers claim. In fact, studies show that in approximately 50% of patients, the desired effect is already going away by 2 months after treatment. 

Finally, there is an extremely small group of people who can develop resistance over time to different products. It is believed that this rare resistance is due to the development of antibodies to the specific protein related to the product.

A separate brand called Xeomin® is free of any associated proteins, and it is. Therefore, the product is utilized in specific cases when we think resistance has developed. Unfortunately, Xeomin® is not as potent as the other botulinum toxin options and is, therefore not in the front line of products we recommend.

• The smaller protein may allow Dysport® to reach the targeted nerves more quickly than Botox® by a few days. 
• Botox® stays in the area where it was injected, while Dysport® can spread out a bit more. Your expert injector can use these properties to your advantage. 
• Some people find that Dysport® lasts a bit longer than Botox®, although this effect is not universal. 
• On some occasions, people can become resistant to Botox® due to the body recognizing its protein. For those people, switching to Dysport® can restore their desired results. 

Unlike Botox® and Dysport®, where the associated molecules are essentially byproducts of production, the peptide associated with Daxxify® was specifically manufactured and patented to improve its performance. This peptide is polarized and because of its structure and polarization, this increases the affinity/attachment of the molecule to its target spot. Daxxify® has been shown in scientific studies to have a longer duration of action than any of the other Botulinum Toxins, which is believed to be a result of the polarized peptide. It is for this reason that we encourage our patients who use neuromodulators to try Daxxify® as they will likely have a longer duration of action.

Why is the Duration of Action so Important?

As noted above, in approximately half of the people who get botulinum toxin, its effect is largely gone at around two months after treatment. This means that even if someone comes four times a year, every three months (which is a lot to ask already), around half of these people will have their muscles working more than they want for a month. This is important for two reasons. It’s not just that they might not have the exact dynamics they want, it also affects the reason many of these people get the injections to begin with – to prevent the formation of permanent lines, creases, and wrinkles in the skin.

Think of a pair of expensive shoes that you own and want to preserve so they don’t get creases. The obvious way to do that is to keep them in the closet and not wear them except for special occasions. Getting Tox in order to prevent lines you see in your mom or dad works the same as putting shoes in the closet. If the muscle isn’t contracting again and again, the skin isn’t getting that wear and tear. The product wearing off after two months means that the shoes are out of the closet for 4 months in a year, which isn’t as effective in preventing creases, lines and folds. There is a very good chance that with Daxxify®, it will be easier to keep the shoes in the closet even with visits spaced out further than two months.

There is an additional benefit to keeping your muscles relaxed at all times, and that is to promote muscle atrophy. Think about how your arm looks when it comes out of a cast. The muscles haven’t worked at all and undergo atrophy, meaning they thin out and get smaller. When you keep the muscle relaxed all the time with tox, that allows the muscle cells to shrink, and that will likely require less tox to keep it relaxed. On the other hand, if it gets relaxed for six weeks and is then allowed to work for four weeks, each time, it has time to build up strength and fitness and won’t undergo atrophy. 

It is for these reasons that we consider Daxxify® to be the premier neuromodulator compared with all others available. Being a product with greater duration, the cost of Daxxify® has a higher cost to us. We are proud to report that those who join our membership for Tox and pay a monthly fee for year-round maintenance pay the same amount for Daxxify®.

The differences between neuromodulators are generally subtle, so your Coolspa expert injector will help you choose the one that will best address your concerns and unique features. You may try more than one product before you find the one that gives you optimal results. 

Am I a Good Candidate for Botox®, Dysport®, or Daxxify®?

Botulinum toxin has been used in medicine and aesthetics for decades, and millions of people have enjoyed its results safely. Good candidates for these treatments have reasonable expectations and are generally in good health. You may not be a good candidate if you have certain medical conditions. 

Take the Next Step

If you want to learn more about Botox® or Dysport® for lines and wrinkles, enjoy a free evaluation and educational session with our expert providers by calling (212) 535-2665 or filling out the consultation request form below.