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What is the difference between Botox and Dysport?

Medical Spa | Encino | Sherman Oaks | San Fernando Valley | Botox | dysportRejuvenate Medical Spa, led by Dr. Bijan Farah, is a state of the art facility for a wide range of non-invasive and minimally invasive treatments to enhance physical appearance. Dr. Farah is a board certified doctor with nearly four decades of experience in the field of medicine. Under his direct guidance and supervision, Rejuvenate med spa provides the latest and proven anti-aging solutions to help patients in and around Encino, Sherman Oaks, San Fernando, and Calabasas, CA gain a youthful appearance. The distinguishing feature and a key strength of Rejuvenate Medical Spa is that Dr. Farah personally supervises and guides the facility for all innovative treatments. He has extensive experience in both internal and emergency medicine, and he applies the same standards and principles of treatment to his med spa facility. Dr. Farah is also an attending Staff Physician in the Department of Internal Medicine at Providence-Tarzana Regional & Northridge Medical Centers.

Injectable Treatments

Botox and Dysport are leading injectable anti-aging treatments to reduce wrinkles and fine lines from the face. Botox has been in use for a fairly long time, while Dysport emerged later as a second treatment option in the same category. The FDA originally approved Botox for cosmetic treatment of frown lines on the forehead in 2002. Ever since then, it has remained the most preferred cosmetic non-surgical treatment for facial wrinkle reduction around the world. Dysport was approved for the same cosmetic purpose by the FDA in 2009. Both drugs are based on botulinum toxin, a powerful biological substance that can paralyze a targeted muscle for a temporary time period. The FDA has also approved both Botox and Dysport for the treatment of a number of medical conditions, such as excessive underarm sweating, eyelid spasms and chronic migraines.

Comparison

Both Botox and Dysport are designed to treat minor wrinkles and lines on the face using botulinum type A toxin. This toxin is used in highly diluted and controlled quantities to achieve the desired results. The drug is injected directly into a targeted overactive muscle that is causing a wrinkle. It works immediately to block the communication between the muscle and the nerve, leading the muscle into a temporary state of paralysis. The wrinkle fades away as the muscle relaxes, and the effects can stay for a period of three to six months on average. Rejuvenate med spa usually recommends Botox to its patients in Encino, Sherman Oaks, San Fernando, Calabasas, CA and surrounding communities. Though both treatments are based on the same toxin, but Dysport has a smaller-sized molecule, which makes its unit measurement different from Botox. Dysport remained popular in Europe for several years, and has been late entrant to the United States because of its late approval from the FDA. The safety profile and length of effectiveness of both treatments is by and large the same. The risk of side effects is also similar, and several clinical studies have shown identical outcomes for both Botox and Dysport.

FDA Approval for Crow’s Feet

Botox has recently won the approval from the FDA for treatment of crow’s feet. Prior to the approval, both Botox and Dysport were still used by several medical spas for the reduction of crow’s feet. However, with the FDA approval, Botox has gained a wider acceptance in the medical community for the cosmetic treatment of crow’s feet. Dysport has not received such approval from the FDA until now. Crow’s feet refer to fine lines and wrinkles that radiate from the outer corners of the eyes, and may make a person appear older or tired. Botox can now be used with authority to address this condition, and many new patients may now warm up to the idea of receiving Botox treatment for crow’s feet.

Key Differences

Differences between Botox and Dysport are still a subject matter of clinical studies, and definitive results are not available. However, many cosmetic experts believe that the anti-aging results with Dysport may not last as long as they do with Botox. The onset of Dysport is marginally quicker at two to five days, compared to four to seven days in case of Botox. Diffusion is slightly higher in case of Dysport, which means it tends to spread to a wider area. This can be an advantage in certain situations and a limitation in others. Some physicians believe that more quantity of Dysport is needed to achieve the same results as Botox. However, this point is still under scientific scrutiny and continues to be an issue of debate. In the final analysis, it is much more important to choose the right medical spa for Botox treatment, rather than be overly concerned about making a choice between Botox and Dysport.