Botox vs. Dysport

What is Dysport®, and is it different than Botox®?

by Lawrence Janowski, MD

Lately, we have become bigger and bigger fans of Dysport® in our Broomfield, Colorado office.

Dysport® and Botox® are essentially identical.  They are the same molecule, Botulinum Toxin Type A (as is Xeomin).  These three products are all Branded competitors (not generics).  They all work in the exact same way, disrupting communications between the nerve and the muscle it controls, causing it to be temporarily paralyzed (we prefer to say, relaxed).  If you want to get technical, molecularly the only difference is that Botox® is surrounded by proteins that fall away from it after it is injected, and Dysport® has no such “accessory proteins”.  Therefore the dysport can penetrate faster and start working more quickly, 2 days vs. Botox® at 3-7 days.  The effects of both Dysport® and Botox® will last around 3-4 months when used in the upper face.  Many patients who have found that Botox® is “not working as well as it used to”  find Dysport® will work better, theoretically because no antibodies have been formed against it.  Dysport® will be 10-15% cheaper, depending on conversion ratio, which is roughly 3:1 vs. Botox®.

I have had virtually zero complaints with Dysport® and now prefer it over Botox®.

---