Dysport is the newest competitor against BOTOX ® , the injectable medication that uses botulinum toxin A to immobilize muscles for a short period of time. Dysport is also made from botulinum toxin A and is used in the same manner as BOTOX ® , which is typically injected between the eyebrows, next to the eyes and on the forehead. But how is Dysport different from BOTOX ® and how is it the same? Here is a comparison of the two drugs.
Dysport and BOTOX ® Work the Same Way
Dysport and BOTOX ® are both made from botulinum toxin A, a neurotoxin that causes paralysis. While this toxin can be deadly to humans, small doses of it can serve a medical purpose. It's used to temporarily paralyze muscles, which can effectively treat muscle spasms and disorders like cerebral palsy. However, Dysport and BOTOX ® are typically used to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on the forehead and around the eyes.
Dysport and BOTOX ® both reduce the appearance of expression lines, including crows feet and frown lines. Both are injected into the muscles of the face between the eyebrows, on the forehead and at the corners of the eyes where crows feet form.
Dysport May Be Useful for Those Who Can No Longer Use BOTOX ®
Because the use of BOTOX ® injections causes an immune response within the body, BOTOX ® can lose its effectiveness when used regularly over a long period of time. Your body's immune response to BOTOX ® injections helps to break down and eventually process the toxin, but it also releases antibodies to the toxin into your blood. If you receive a large number of BOTOX ® injections, you can build up so many antibodies that the treatments no longer work.
Dysport, however, uses fewer proteins and therefore elicits a much weaker immune response within the body. Those who have found that BOTOX ® no longer works for them may benefit from Dysport treatments.
Why Dysport May Be Better than BOTOX ®
Many doctors feel that Dysport works faster than BOTOX ® and that the result of Dysport treatments last longer. Dysport injections begin to take effect a few days sooner than BOTOX ® injections typically do. Results of Dysport treatment may last for up to two weeks longer than the results of BOTOX ® treatment. Medical professionals have also found that spreads through facial muscles more quickly, so patients need fewer injections.
The biggest advantage to patients receiving Dysport injection is the price; it's cheaper than BOTOX ® , and doctors suspect that the presence of a competitor on the market may force prices for both products to fall even further. In fact, the appearance of Dysport on the market has already forced both companies to release mail in rebates that allow doctors and patients to save money on the treatments. Receiving a Dysport treatment isn't much different from receiving a BOTOX ® treatment, and physicians find that administering the treatment also requires a similar technique.
