Aging brings wisdom: it also brings wrinkles and lines. Keep the wisdom and reject the lines and wrinkles with Botox and Dysport, two popular, minimally invasive cosmetic treatments that are used safely and effectively every day, all across the world. At Advanced Dermatology Center in Wolcott, CT, we offer both and can help you decide which is best to address your signs of aging.
The Basics of Dysport and Botox
Both of these treatments are widely used, but Botox is much more of a household name. Dysport is catching up in popularity, however, and this treatment is every bit as effective and safe as Botox.
About Botox
Botox is the most popular cosmetic treatment in the world and was the first to use the A botulinum toxin to force the muscles that cause our lines and wrinkles to relax. Botox was originally developed to treat eyelid spasms that wouldn’t respond to other treatments. The botulinum toxin causes the muscles to stop twitching, providing effective relief for spasms in the eyes (and elsewhere).
Over time, those using Botox for eyelid spasms, and their doctors and dermatologists, noticed that the wrinkles around their eyes were fading. Today, Botox injections are widely used to treat the wrinkles caused by constant muscle movement. This treatment can also be used to stop those wrinkles from forming in the first place, making it a popular treatment for younger people who want to delay the signs of aging as long as possible.
Dysport
This treatment is used for the same reason as Botox–to create younger-looking skin by treating lines and wrinkles. It uses the same A botulinum toxin and is injected in the same way as Botox. In many cases, there’s no real difference between them when it comes to patient outcomes or treatment areas.
For many people, choosing between these two neuromodulators is much like choosing between Coke and Pepsi. They deliver the same results for most people and are both highly effective. However, some people will prefer one over the other in the same way some people strongly prefer Coke to Pepsi or vice versa. There are also minor differences that can impact results for some people.
What Makes These Two Neuromodulators Different?
They Use a Slightly Different Neurotoxin Variation
Both use A botulinum toxin, but Botox uses onabotulinumtoxinA (ONA) and Dysport uses abobotulinumtoxinA (ABO). The difference between ONA and ABO is that ABO has smaller molecules than ONA. As a result, we measure the two products a bit differently, which means there are differences in the pricing of units and the number you need for a given treatment.
Additionally, the ABO formulation in Dysport is a purer form, which means this treatment can often work for people who have developed a resistance to Botox. Whether you’re just starting with neuromodulators or have been using Botox for a while and aren’t seeing the results you’re hoping for, Dysport could be your best choice.
They Have a Different History
Botox has been around for decades, and it was first approved for cosmetic use in 2002. It has been used so often since then that we’ve had more than ample opportunity to review the effects and prove the long-term safety and efficacy of Botox. Dysport doesn’t have the same household name-recognition, but it’s been around almost as long: since 2009. This treatment has been FDA-approved and is perfectly safe.
They Work at Different Speeds
The ABO protein works a bit faster than the ONA, so you can expect to see results in just four days compared with about a week for Botox.
They Disperse Differently
Because the molecules of the ABO botulinum toxin are a bit smaller than the ONA, they tend to spread over a larger area. This can be either a big plus or a bit of a negative, depending on which area of the face you want to treat and exactly what you need done. This is just one reason it’s important to visit trained professionals like those at Advanced Dermatology Center. We have the skill, training, and experience you need to determine which neuromodulator is best for your situation.
Which Product Is Right for Me?
Ultimately, your choice will come down to a question of personal preference combined with your goals, specific cosmetic need, and our expertise. Both work well, and in blind tests, people could not tell which product had been used. There really is no wrong answer to this question.
The products themselves aren’t very different, so what makes a real difference is the person you choose to administer them. Administering any sort of dermal filler or neuromodulator injection requires a combination of scientific precision and skill combined with a sense of artistry.
When injections are done by someone without the right training and skill, the result can be a frozen, unnatural face. At Advanced Dermatology Center, your results will always look natural. You’ll retain the ability to make all your normal facial expressions while calming the muscles that are causing your face to fall into lines and wrinkles.
The Benefits of Neuromodulator Injections
Get Smooth Skin
There are over-the-counter products everywhere that claim to give you smooth skin, but often these products are nearly useless. They may seem to work when we’re younger, but that’s often only because our skin is young and resilient! The older we get, the less effective these products seem to become.
Injectables, and particularly neuromodulators, are a way to make a real difference. They are science-based interventions that actually go to the root of the problem that’s causing the lines and wrinkles you don’t want. When the muscles behind these lines aren’t able to make that movement, lines stop deepening and the skin relaxes and smooths out.
Enjoy a Younger Look
Wrinkles and lines are a natural part of aging, but they don’t appear at the same speed for everyone. Some people, whether due to genetics or over-exposure to the sun and environmental pollutants in their youth, will get more lines and earlier than others. It might be natural, but there’s no reason you have to put up with it.
We believe that age is just a number, and you should choose what look goes with your number. These neuromodulator treatments give you the power to choose your look. Whether you’re 50 and want to minimize the look of existing lines or 25 and want to prevent lines from forming early, neuromodulators are effective.
Make Up for Lost Collagen
When we’re young, our skin repairs itself and bounces back from the push, pull, and stress of life and movement in large part because of the collagen our body products. When we turn 30, that collagen production starts to slow by 1% to 2% a year. This is hardly noticeable at first, but by the age of 40, most of us are producing 10% to 20% less collagen than we did in our youth.
As a result, the foundation our skin sits on starts to weaken, and the skin itself can’t regenerate at the rate it once did. With every muscle contraction, our skin becomes more and more susceptible to slipping into lines and then into wrinkles. Neuromodulators can step in and help when collagen levels decline.
Erase the Impacts of Stress
Stress is as much a part of life as winkles, and these days stress seems more significant than ever. With that stress also comes sleepless nights. Whenever we feel stressed, our bodies produce a substance called cortisol: a hormone that powers us to escape or fight back against a threat. But cortisol is meant to be released only during times of genuine threat.
Our bodies aren’t equipped to handle a steady flow of cortisol day in and day out, yet most of us experience this because of constant, low-level stress we live with. This stress, and the lack of quality sleep, means our bodies never have a chance to really recover. Among the many effects of cortisol is that it inhibits our production of collagen, which in turn makes every sign of aging look deeper.
If you’ve ever noticed how much older you look after pulling an all-nighter or dealing with a few weeks of especially high stress, know that ultimately it’s the cortisol that’s causing the issue. Fortunately, neuromodulator treatments can take care of some of the physical signs of stress, and especially if you combine injections with other refreshing treatments, like facials or chemical peels.
Get a Natural Look
Contrary to what many fear, these neuromodulator injections deliver natural results you can count on. Botox, in particular, has an undeserved reputation for making people look frozen, but the fault was never with the treatment itself. When you have treatment from a reputable professional, your results appear gradually over the course of a few days. You never look like you’ve “had work done,” and your friends won’t be commenting on your frozen features–they’ll be commenting on how young and refreshed you look.
Enjoy Safety and Convenience
Another tremendous benefit of these treatments is that they are FDA-approved and very well tested. It only takes about 15 minutes to get your injections, and then you’re right back to your regular routine. For most people, these treatments can be done in a lunch hour. They don’t hurt at all, and they are perfectly safe.
Avoid Surgery or Invasive Procedures
One reason neuromodulators are so popular is they provide effective results without any need for stitching, cutting, or potential scarring. In fact, when you use these treatments as a preventative measure, you make it less likely you’ll ever need a facelift. Even if you do one day, you can put that day off for a long time. This is the perfect treatment for those who aren’t seeing the results they need from over-the-counter products but who aren’t ready for the expense, risk, and downtime of surgery.
Get the Smooth Skin You’re Looking For
If you’re still not sure about the difference between these products or aren’t sure if they’re the right choice for you, schedule a consultation with us. We’ll be happy to explain more and answer all your questions about these treatments or any other. At your consultation, we’ll also look at your skin, hear about your goals, and give you professional advice about the best way to get the results you’re hoping for. We’ll work with you to develop a plan that’s right for your needs, schedule, and budget.
Both of these treatments are great options for anyone who wants to reduce the look of their fine lines and wrinkles or even prevent them from forming. If you’re interested in either treatment, visit Advanced Dermatology Center in Wolcott, CT today to set up a consultation. We can’t wait to help you get the skin and the look you deserve!
