Botox? Dysport?
A recent test finds that Dysport just may have an edge over Botox in smoothing “crows’ feet.”
(Read our last blog post about the effect of Botox & Dysport on forehead wrinkles, “smoker’s lines,” and the often wrinkled area between the eyebrows.)
According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, (ASAPS) more than 2.4 million people had Botox or Dysport in2010 to reduce fine lines on the face.
(Do you have facial wrinkles? To vote on which you prefer – Dysport or Botox – and to possibly be one of three, lucky Facebook users winning 100 units of Dysport, log in to your FB account, search for “Robert Kotler” and hit his “like” button.)
For the past decade, Botox, which is a version of botulinum toxin type A that temporarily weakens or paralyzes muscles that cause wrinkles, has been the most popular nonsurgical cosmetic procedure.
However, a new version of the drug, known as Dysport, was recently found to deliver better results in some cases.
A study conducted by scientists at the University of California San Francisco and published in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, a professional journal for plastic surgeons, compared the effectiveness of the two compounds in reducing “crow’s feet,” the small wrinkles that are common to the outside corners of more mature eyes.
For the so-called “split face” study, 90 volunteers had Botox injections on one side of their face and Dysport injections on the other. After one month, 67 percent of those who received the injections said that the Dysport side of their face looked better.
“From our findings, it’s clear that there’s a better smoothing effect and clearing of lines around the eyes with Dysport,” the study’s co-author said. “But does that also mean that Dysport is better at achieving the same thing around the mouth or forehead or neck? We really can’t make that conclusion yet.”
Other tests have shown that Dysport takes effect sooner and lasts longer.
Botox and Dysport are both approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are not associated with any severe safety risks.
“The most important aspect of using these different botulinum toxins is not which one you get, but making sure that you are being injected by a reputable and respected physician who does a lot of these injections,” a professor of facial plastic surgery at Washington University in Saint Louis said.
Experts say that the first step to ensuring the best results from cosmetic procedures such as injections of Botox, Dysport, Juvederm or Restylane is choosing a trained, board-certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist.
