Allergan must hate the new, cool, popular kid at school. His name is Medicis Pharmaceutical, and he manufactures the Botox alternate, Dysport; which has raised steep market competition. In April of 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved this new injectable cosmetic for the treatment of wrinkles. Dysport, another derivation of botulinum toxin, specifically called abotulinumtoxin A, is like Botox in almost every way (onabotulinumtoxin A); but some are saying its better.

How Does Dysport Work?

Just like Botox, Dysport is derived from clostridium botulinum bacteria, purified, and made into an injectable serum. This serum is then injected into the trouble site of the patient, where it paralyzes the muscle and smoothes out the wrinkles on the surface. Similar to Botox, Dysport may also be used to treat:

  • -Migraines
  • -Cervical dystonia
  • -Muscle spasms around the eyes
  • -Other muscle-related tension problems

So if Dysport essentially has the same chemical makeup as Botox, works in the same way, and achieves the same result, why are people saying it’s better?

The Advantages of Dysport Over Botox

Reportedly, Dysport has a few advantages over Botox. Here they are:

  1. First of all, the Medicis version has a slightly different elemental structure, with fewer proteins surrounding the core molecule. This enables better acceptance by the body which makes the outcome last slightly longer.
  2. Because of its improved ease into the body, Dysport is less likely to spur an adverse reaction from the immune system. In addition, it serves as an alternative for those who’ve developed antibodies against Botox.
  3. In a study reported in the Archives of Dermatology, with Botox injected into one side of the face and Dysport injected into the other, Dysport showed more apparent relief of crow’s feet.
  4. At $200 to $300 per treatment, Dysport is cheaper than Botox, which costs $300 to $400 per treatment. This is due to the fact that Dysport is more diluted and thus requires fewer units of product to be effective.

Dysport Has its Drawbacks

Well, it at least has one. Though there are no “red flags” yet cited with regard to Dysport, there are still two sides to every tale. Because this new version has a thinner consistency than Botox, it tends to “spread” more after injection. This could be a good thing at larger treatment areas like the forehead, but it could have negative affects at more acute injection sites. For example, it is possible that Dysport for the treatment of crow’s feet could cause blurred vision, droopy eyebrows, etc.