Dysport® Introduction
With nearly 11 million BOTOX and Dysport procedures performed in the United States, its popularity continues to skyrocket and it is the leading non-surgical cosmetic medical procedure globally. Fiala Aesthetics Medical Spa offers both Dysport® and BOTOX Cosmetic®. Comparing the two, Dr. Fiala says that so far there are some subtle differences but both seem to work well in relaxing dynamic wrinkles of the face. The doses of the two drugs are measured differently: BOTOX Cosmetic® units are not the same as Dysport® units. Currently, Dysport® is priced so that it is less expensive than BOTOX Cosmetic® (at the usual 3:1 conversion ratio), so if you wish to save a little money while you are fighting your wrinkles, you may want to give Dysport® a try.
Dysport® FAQs
What is Dysport®?
Dysport® is a prescription medicine used to soften or reduce the appearance of moderate to severe lines and wrinkles. Typically it is used on what are termed “lines of facial expression”, “lines of motion”, or “dynamic lines”. Dysport® is considered a neuromodulator and is an FDA-approved treatment that is injected directly into the site of your wrinkles to prevent the underlying muscles from contracting
How does Dysport® work?
Like BOTOX, Dysport® basically prevents the signals that travel down the nerves from reaching the nearby muscles, so they remain relaxed. Untreated facial muscles will still contract normally, allowing you to freely show facial expressions in the untreated areas.
What is the Dysport® procedure like?
On the day of your procedure, you will be asked to contract the muscles that cause your wrinkles to appear, to evaluate the best locations for placement of the Dysport. Most patients find they don’t require topical anesthetics for this procedure. Using a tiny needle, Dysport® is then injected into the small facial muscles that are causing your dynamic wrinkles. There is both a technical and artistic component to this treatment so that the results obtained are both natural looking and also last as long as possible. This is a 10-minute, non-surgical procedure and discomfort is usually minimal and brief.
What is the recovery like for Dysport®?
Many Dysport® treatments can be performed without any discomfort, but you may experience a mild sting and possibly some temporary swelling and redness at the site of the injections. Sometime bruising may occur and can last for a few days to a couple of weeks. Please refrain from using aspirin, ibuprofen, Aleve and alcohol before and after your treatment. After your Dysport® treatment, you can return to your normal routine immediately but you will be advised to avoid alcohol and sun exposure for the first 24 hours. The results begin to take effect four to ten days after your visit and last from four to six months.
Are there any risks associated with Dysport®?
As described under Botulinum medical history, BOTOX Cosmetic® and Dysport® are not new in the field of medicine but they are by far the most popular cosmetic procedures performed in the United States and 75 other countries worldwide. Significant side effects are very rare.
After your Dysport® injections, transient bruising is not uncommon. Slight tenderness may also occur and some patients report a mild transient headache. Other side effects may include numbness, swelling, or a feeling of burning around the injection site. Simply placing ice before and after your procedure in the treated area can alleviate most of these issues and any complications are normally temporary and usually disappear in a short period of time. You will receive more information and a complete copy of safety information during your Dysport® consultation.
You should not receive Dysport® if you are allergic to cow’s milk protein, if you have ever had an allergic reaction to another botulinum toxin product, or if you have infection at the site of the desired treatment. Patients with certain neuromuscular disorders such as ALS, myasthenia gravis, or Lambert-Eaton syndrome should not receive Dysport® and this should be discussed with Dr. Fiala during your consultation. Not everyone is a candidate for this treatment.
What are the benefits of Dysport® injection treatments?
Originally approved for treating the frown lines between the eyebrows (called glabellar frown lines or sometimes called “eleven lines” since they look like “11″), Dysport® is widely used “off label” for other anatomic sites such as crow’s feet, forehead lines, and some wrinkles around your mouth.
There have been numerous studies and trials that have demonstrated Dysport’s® effectiveness and safety. In one study published in the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 87% of participants who were given Dysport® reported a reduction in wrinkles. The same study found that Dysport took effect in as little as 24 hours with the average time needed for visible results to be approximately four days. More than two million treatments of Dysport® have been administered worldwide, representing more than 840,000 patient years of treatment.
How are Dysport® and BOTOX Cosmetic® different?
The similarities of Dysport® and BOTOX Cosmetic® include:
- Both of these products are made of a sterile purified protein obtained from the same bacteria.
- Both are injected with a fine needle into muscles under the skin.
- Both relax the muscles by stopping the signals from the nerve to the muscle.
- Both have a temporary effect, lasting about three months.
- Both show noticeable effects three to five days after injection.
- Both have been used in Europe for medical purposes since 1992 and for cosmetic purposes for more than a decade.
- Both are FDA approved for medical and cosmetic use.
- Dysport® cosmetic is exactly the same product as Dysport® medical, only they are labeled differently.
- BOTOX Cosmetic® is exactly the same product as BOTOX® medical, only they are labeled differently.
Differences between Dysport® and BOTOX Cosmetic® include:
- Dysport® uses smaller molecules than BOTOX Cosmetic®.
- Dysport® diffuses and spreads a little more than BOTOX Cosmetic®.
- Dysport® and BOTOX Cosmetic® are measured differently.
- The price per unit of Dysport® is one third that of a unit of BOTOX Cosmetic®. However, in order to obtain the same results as one unit of BOTOX Cosmetic®, two and a half to three units of Dysport® must be used.
- Dysport® claims that its effects are noticeable one to two days earlier than that of BOTOX Cosmetic®.
- Dysport® claims that its effects last slightly longer.
As with any product, Dr. Fiala knows that you desire an affordable and effective product that poses minimal to no risks. The risks and effects of both products are similar and in a professional and medical setting such as Fiala Aesthetics Medical Spa, both BOTOX Cosmetic® and Dysport® are injected with your comfort and safety in mind.