Is Dysport the New Botox

The recent approval by the FDA of a new form of botulinum toxin called Dysport has generated a lot of excitement because it is the first product that can compete with Allergan’s Botox product for the treatment of lines and wrinkles. Now, everybody wants to know which one is better. There are four criteria that make botulinum toxin better.

First is how quickly does it starts to work. Botox starts to work in three days and by the seventh day, ninety percent of the effect has occurred. With Dysport it supposedly starts perhaps a day earlier, but it is hard to be sure.

The second criteria is which product lasts longer. Botox lasts at least three months and then perhaps longer. Dysport is alleged to last a few weeks longer, but it is really hard to tell when lines and wrinkles are starting to come back one week or two weeks earlier/later. One thing is for sure: it is not a difference of two or three months between the two products.

Third is which cost more. Dysport costs about five to ten percent less than Botox to the dermatologist, but that does not mean that he or she will past that savings on to you as the patient.

And last is pain. They are both equally not painful. The only discomfort one has during a Botox treatment is when the needle actually goes through the skin. There is no discomfort when the medicine is injected and the same type of needle is used for both treatments so there is no difference between the two products in the small amount of discomfort.

So, which of these products are better is controversial but I know one thing is for sure: for an experienced Botox injector to learn how to use Dysport is a little bit like learning a new language because the dosing is so different. So if you are satisfied with the Botox treatments that you already receive, I am not sure there is a significant upside for the potential downside of your not being equally satisfied unless your doctor has a lot of experience with injecting Dysport.