What Can Dysport® Treat?
Treatments like Dysport® and Botox® are used to address concerns about lines and wrinkles. Dysport® is FDA-approved to treat glabellar lines, also known as the 11s. However, it can be used to treat other areas. Like Botox®, it relaxes targeted facial muscles, allowing the skin to become smooth. Your expert injector may recommend Dysport® if its special properties align with your needs and goals.
Dysport® is also FDA-approved for leg muscle spasms, even in children, and cervical dystonia, a condition affecting your ability to move your head and neck. These medical uses show how safely this treatment works and how effectively it stops unwanted muscle movements to relieve discomfort as well as smooth wrinkles.
How Does Dysport® Work?
The wrinkle-relaxing effects of Dysport® are the result of a compound originally produced by bacteria called botulinum toxin. Dysport® contains purified botulinum toxin and an accessory protein that helps it reach its destination. This protein affects how quickly Dysport® starts working and other factors.
When injected, Dysport® travels to the nerves that control your facial muscles. When it reaches the nerves, it stops them from sending out a signal called acetylcholine that tells muscles when to contract. By stopping these signals, Dysport® prevents the targeted facial muscles from moving. Without the underlying muscle movements, your skin can relax and become smooth.
Despite being known as a neurotoxin, botulinum toxin does not damage your muscles or nerves. When Dysport® wears off, the muscles will resume their normal function. If you want to prevent them from resuming their wrinkle formation, you will need occasional touch-up treatments.
What are the Differences Between Dysport® and Botox®?
Since so many people know about Botox®, that may be what they expect to receive for lines and wrinkles. While they work in the same way, these treatments do have some different properties that help your injector choose the best one for you, including:
- Because it uses a smaller protein, Dysport® reaches the targeted nerves and takes effect more quickly, which is especially satisfying for those who want to see fast results.
- Dysport® spreads out more, a desirable property in many spots since it lets the same amount of product treat a larger area.
- Dysport® and Botox® are measured in different units and priced differently, so one may be slightly more or less expensive than the other.
Since these products work the same way and are generally very similar, your injector’s experience and preferences play a role in which one they choose for you.
