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Botulinum toxin injections like Botox and Dysport have been the go-to form of effective treatment for facial lines and dynamic wrinkles, with plenty of injection sites that patients can benefit from. However, these aren't the only forms of botulinum toxin treatment available - and their doses aren't the same across treatments. Even if they're the same products, providers still need to be careful when they inject them each time.
So how many units does the average person need compared to Dysport? Most studies, research, and applications to patients agree to somewhere between 2.5 to 3 units of Dysport per single Botox injection. The range of these doses is the safest amount of neurotoxins that providers can use for beneficial effects while also avoiding any possible complications with the product.
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Strictly speaking, the effects of Botox and Dysport don't really differ - they both relax the muscles in the treated area, preventing muscle contractions and muscle movement by stopping their capability of receiving nerve signals and nerve impulses. They're both safe treatments for wrinkles, with flexible treatment intervals and visible results within days of treatment.
Their biggest difference is the botulinum toxin type used in each treatment. Botox injections use onabotulinumtoxin A, while Dysport treatments use abobotulinumtoxin A. This small change - particularly, the presence of a specific protein in Dysport - means that the dilution between each product is drastically different.
This can cause a few differences in their effects, even if their overall results, depth of injection, injection technique, and other factors remain the same. Because of these differences in manufacturing, the dose conversion of Botox and Dysport is never 1 to 1, even if the exact conversion ratio can differ depending on the provider.
Both cosmetic injectables work well for the management of the lines and wrinkles that come with aging, but they do have some differences in how they accomplish these goals. Most expert discussions and opinions of professionals will usually say these effects are crucial to separating what could be substandard botulinum toxin injections from the truly effective ones.
Because Dysport is far more diluted than Botox, patients who are transitioning between the two different doses need to be careful not to take too much or too little of either. Larger doses or a larger treatment of Dysport isn't always guaranteed to replicate the effects of Botox, and diluted Botox doesn't always work as well as Dysport treatment.
In these cases, you should make sure to find a provider that you can trust who will know how to do the right conversion between doses if you need to switch between them. A licensed injection specialist won’t only know how to administer the correct dose of the botulinum toxin treatment, but they can also guarantee you the best possible results.
The applicable injection sites of Botox and Dysport are the biggest difference between these two products, which affect anything from the injection technique and the dose used in the treatment.
As far as official FDA standards are concerned, the best use of Dysport is on forehead lines or glabellar lines. Because of the diluted formulation, Dysport spreads faster when injected into the skin - a crucial feature to have when using it on a relatively flat and wide area like the forehead.
In contrast, Botox's potency and overall concentration make it a far more versatile treatment, suitable from smile lines to frown lines. It even has proven effects as a medical treatment for migraines, limb spasticity, and cervical dystonia.
The flexibility with Botox injections is also what makes it so crucial to understanding the right dose conversion since the effects can be potent enough to cause moderate to severe complications if done incorrectly.
The differences between dose equivalence can also result in some differences in the effects of each product. But keep in mind that since each person's reaction to botulinum toxin injections can be different, you shouldn't immediately assume that one type of injection is superior to the other.
Some studies have found that the effects of Dysport tend to last longer, show visible results sooner, and overall have a better chance of being used as a long-term treatment compared to Botox. However, this comes with the drawback of only having one approved area for treatment.
In contrast, Botox's versatility makes it effective for a variety of different medical and aesthetic concerns, but with the caveat of possibly having more frequent applications compared to Dysport. The only authority that can call these differences with any certainty is your provider.
Switching from Botox to Dysport and vice-versa is a fairly common issue that providers can help you with, with favorable results if done correctly. Because of the changes your body goes through as you age, it's sometimes recommended to switch from Botox to Dysport, especially for long-term treatment.
In most cases, this switch goes without incident and the patient can continue their injections as normal. However, there are some cases where this switch causes complications, usually because of negligence on part of the injector.
While many of these complications are mild to moderate, there is one serious complication that you should watch out for - botulism, where the neurotoxin used in your treatments starts attacking your body's nerves instead of relaxing them.
As mentioned earlier, the way that Botox and Dysport injections work is by preventing the nerves in your muscles from receiving and sending signals, which causes them to slack and loosen with time. This prevents the formation of wrinkles since it's repeated facial expressions and muscle contractions that cause the folds to form over time.
However, with too much botulinum toxin in your system, the effects of the toxin may start attacking your nerves specifically, which can cause plenty of adverse side effects from muscle weakness to breathing problems. This is why botulism is considered a serious complication that requires immediate clinical treatment once symptoms manifest.
If you're looking for the best option for you to choose between Botox and Dysport, it ultimately comes down to what are the results that you want to see from either treatment. If you're looking to get rid of forehead lines or glabellar lines, Dysport is your injection of choice. For anything else, Botox works just as well.
Finding an experienced cosmetic provider can also make your decision a lot easier, as they'll have the experience necessary to make the call on which product will work for your needs best. They can also help you deal with any adverse effects that occur, prevent you from experiencing more serious complications, and overall improve the outcome of your treatments.
It's also important to note that for cases of preventative Botox or Dysport treatments, the unit doses will also need to change over time. Because preventative treatments typically condition your skin so it's less prone to developing pesky wrinkles, everything from the location of the injection to the type of product used has to be handled with care.
In most cases, providers will usually offer packages and other deals with their Botox or Dysport treatments (as they're not typically covered by insurance plans) which can work with short and long-term treatments. It's best that you already inquire about these packages if your skin is starting to show signs of wrinkles - the earlier your start, the better it'll be.
Learn more: Xeomin vs Botox Units: What’s the Difference, and Should It Matter?
While Botox and Dysport injections can be considered as belonging to the same family of cosmetic treatments, the differences in each product mean that it's important to gauge the unit of each injection to avoid adverse effects. Cosmetic injections like these - especially the follow-up injections needed - will work best with the right amount of units, which makes finding the right provider extremely important.
Dr. V Medical Aesthetics has plenty of experience with using botulinum toxin injections to get rid of facial wrinkles or to reduce the appearance of wrinkles long-term. You'll always be able to rely on an experienced injector who can safely and effectively use Botox or Dysport on your facial muscles without having any potential side effects. You can trust in the quality of our treatments, whether you need help with frown lines, severe wrinkles, or glabellar lines. Book a consultation with us today to find out which of our injectable treatments works best for you.
Dr. V Medical Aesthetics is ready to help you achieve your beauty goals. Contact us today to learn more about any of our services, and exactly what our team can do for you.
