Botox® Cosmetic is the most well-known injectable neuromodulator. Botox temporarily relaxes facial muscles to soften the look of dynamic facial wrinkles created by repeated muscle movement (think: frown lines and furrowed brows).
It works by blocking nerve signals to the muscles, so the injected muscle can’t contract.
What are BOTOX® Cosmetic and Dysport®?
BOTOX® Cosmetic and Dysport® are neuromodulators that relax wrinkles and lines by preventing the muscular contractions that cause them. Your facial muscles contract every time you smile, laugh, frown, furrow your brow, or make any facial movements. You make these movements many times every day. After years of repeating them over and over, you can develop wrinkles.
BOTOX® Cosmetic and Dysport® ensure those contractions can’t happen. They’re caused when your brain sends a signal via nerves that tells the muscles what to do. BOTOX® Cosmetic and Dysport® block that signal. Your brain still sends it, but it never reaches your nerves. That relaxes your muscles and rids your face of the targeted wrinkles.
During your consultation at the Larrabee Center, we will analyze your face for excessive movement and pulling of muscle groups that cause your wrinkles. We will also look at skin volume loss that occurs as a result of genetics and time. Our goal is to give your face a softened, refreshed, relaxed look.
What Can BOTOX® Cosmetic and Dysport® Treat?
BOTOX® Cosmetic and Dysport® are effective at treating many cosmetic facial conditions, including:
- Lines between the eyebrows
- Frown lines
- Forehead lines
- Crow’s feet
- Brow lines
What are the Differences Between BOTOX® Cosmetic and Dysport®?
Although BOTOX® Cosmetic and Dysport® use the same active substance and have the same effects, there are subtle differences that can impact the results you get. Dysport® has smaller protein molecules than BOTOX® Cosmetic. That means Dysport® may diffuse over a wider area. That can manifest in several ways:
- Dysport® can sometimes be more effective in treating larger areas, like your forehead, whereas BOTOX® Cosmetic can target more specific points, like crow’s feet and frown lines.
- Dysport® may take effect slightly sooner. That means it may be preferable if time is of the essence.
- The effects of BOTOX® Cosmetic and Dysport®last similar lengths of time. Some people feel BOTOX® Cosmetic lasts slightly longer, although this usually depends on the amounts used and sites treated.
Are BOTOX® Cosmetic and Dysport® Safe?
They’re both safe. They are the purified derivative of Botulinum Toxin Type A. Before they’re injected, they’re mixed with saline, and they’re administered in tiny amounts that deliver safe, effective cosmetic results.
The injectables are also non-invasive and non-surgical. They involve no anesthesia, incisions, sutures, or stitches. Your treatment should last no longer than 15 minutes, and you should experience no downtime.
how long does BOTOX® and Dysport® last?
Results from both treatments should last about four months, so you’ll need regular treatments to keep your wrinkles from showing back up. However, BOTOX® Cosmetic and Dysport® become more effective with each successive treatment. The wrinkles are less pronounced each time they come back.
If you have wrinkles that BOTOX® Cosmetic or Dysport® may not treat, you can also opt for additional treatments, such as dermal fillers, that can be used in concert with the injectables to help your face look as youthful as possible.
What are the risks of having BOTOX or Dysport injections?
BOTOX® has been used hundreds of millions of times since its 2002 aesthetic debut, and there have been few side effects. Dysport® has basically the same formulation, only it is a little more diluted. The main issue after these injections at Larrabee Center can be slight redness or bruising at the injection sites, but this usually passes within just a few hours. Headaches are also possible, but they are very rare.
It’s important after your session for the patient not to rub the areas where the BOTOX® or Dysport® was injected for 12 hours. This can cause the product to migrate to an unwanted muscle, which can lead to temporary drooping of an eyelid or other unintended effects.
Will I have recovery after having BOTOX or Dysport injections?
Because BOTOX® injections are so short and don’t involve recovery, they’ve long been known as the perfect “lunchtime procedure.” This means you can come into our offices on Broadway Avenue over a lunch break, have your BOTOX® or Dysport® injections, grab a sandwich, and still have a few minutes to spare.
These injections take just 10-15 minutes, and there isn’t any recovery. As mentioned above, you may have some slight redness at the injection sites (just as you would for any injection), but it’s nothing dramatic. You can go right back to work or take a walk around Lake Union. It’s a good idea to not go with overly strenuous exercise for 24 hours after your session.
How long can I expect my results to last with BOTOX or Dysport?
Both of these neuromodulators provide results for four to six months. This span is due to different rates of absorption by different people. At some point, your body will absorb the now-inert BOTOX® or Dysport® and the wrinkles will return. When that happens, it’s time for another session with our aesthetic injection specialist, Maryln Wilson, R.N., B.S.N., to maintain your results. There is some thought that repeated BOTOX® or Dysport® treatments train the muscles to relax more easily and for longer periods of time, but this varies with different patients.
How long does an injection session take?
Because Maryln injects your neuromodulator with a very tiny, thin needle, patients don’t feel the need to have topical numbing applied prior to their session. That makes BOTOX® and Dysport® sessions about as time consuming as getting a latte at a busy coffee shop. It takes just 10-15 minutes for your injections.
Can I combine my Botox/Dysport injections with other treatments?
The simplicity of neuromodulator injections makes them easy to combine with other non-surgical treatments at Larrabee Center. That makes good use of your time. For instance, you could combine a CoolSculpting session with BOTOX® injections. Or you could have us remove some unwanted hair with laser hair removal along with your Dysport® session. You could remove crow’s feet with BOTOX® and work on tightening a double chin with Kybella®. Also, because BOTOX® and Dysport® work in completely different manners on different areas of the face than dermal fillers, you could have BOTOX® to remove your 11s between your brows and have Juvéderm® or Restylane® injections to address lines around your mouth. Fillers and neuromodulators can be injected in the same session without any concerns.
The only thing you would avoid when considering combining BOTOX® or Dysport® injections with other non-surgical procedures would be not having something else done on the same area of the face. For instance, you wouldn’t have BOTOX® injections and microneedling on the upper third of your face in the same session.
If you’re interested in combining treatments, let’s discuss it during your consultation.
Are BOTOX and Dysport injections painful?
Neuromodulators are injected by our Nurse Practitioner and Certified BOTOX®/Dysport® injector Maryln Wilson, R.N., B.S.N. She makes your injections with a very tiny needle, and the injections are not made to great depth. Most patients equate the feeling to that of a pinprick, and they don’t feel the need to have topical numbing cream or anything prior to their injections.