The Difference Between Botox, Dysport, Jeuveau & Xeomin You Must Know

The described products are intended exclusively for professional application by trained medical workers holding a license for facial injection treatment and performing injections in clinics and licensed facial treatment facilities. Any non-professional or careless application of the neurotoxins may result in a number of severe side effects and even cause symptoms of botulism that will require hospitalization and extensive treatment measures.

Intro

In the quest to remove the signs of aging and fatigue on the skin and to gain a healthy glow look, patients always want only the best and the most efficient products. In this review, we aim to explore botulotoxin injections (often commonly known as Botox), provide necessary facts and considerations, and point patients and medics to the most trusted and reputable options of injectable neurotoxins brands currently on the market. Top-quality products and experienced professionals can create real magic for skin, so start the journey to skin rejuvenation from here.

Foundation of Botulinum Toxin Injections: Nerves And Muscles Relaxation  

Let’s establish the basics first. Today there exists a whole universe of dermal injectables, and often they are generally tagged as fillers. However, fillers and botulotoxin injections are different in principle and working effect. 

Fillers are sterile, biologically neutral gels injected under the skin to fill wrinkles from within and to plump lips or other skin areas in need of volume. 

Botulotoxin injections are agents made of purified botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A), and they act as temporary relaxants for muscles. These injections temporarily block the activity of nerves that control the movement of muscles, and in such a way, they prevent muscles from forming deep wrinkles, as seen on the forehead, in the glabella area, perioral area, etc. So, botulotoxin injections literally smooth out wrinkles due to muscle relaxation but do not fill anything. 

Now it’s time to focus on Botulinum Toxin Injections in particular. All FDA-approved and popular injectables are created of botulinum toxin type A, which is one of the most potent and lethal toxins that impact humans and other creatures alike when taken in a big dose. It has a strong paralyzing effect, and this property was aptly used by scientists to develop an injectable for aesthetic treatment. 

In tiny doses and purified states, BoNT-A temporarily blocks selected nerves and muscles and is widely used in medicine for the treatment of various conditions. In aesthetic medicine, neurotoxin injections help in blocking muscles that form deep permanent frowns and folds, like ones seen in smiling, frowning, hard squinting, or burrowing brows. The smoothing effect is impressive but temporary, and the degree of paralyzing action can be adjusted to create a ‘livelier’ or more ‘calm’ skin look.

How The Injection Amount Is Described And Calculated? 

These injections have their way of measurement – a unit. Here, a unit stands for a minimal amount of biological activity that can be performed by botulotoxin, and a unit includes a specific number of toxin molecules in action. So when an aesthetician says that the treatment will take, say, 5 or 20 units, it means that some facial areas will relax well from a smaller amount of the toxin concentration (5 units), and others, with stronger muscles, will need several times as much (20 units) for good results.   

Similarities And Differences Among Known Wrinkle Relaxers

The market offers a set of BoNT-A injection brands that have proven efficient and safe for patients and deliver impressive results time after time. Botox, Dysport, Jeuveau, and Xeomin have long secured their place on the shelves of online and offline medical supplies stores. But why are there different varieties of the agent, and what do they have in common? 

The essential common features include: 

• The active component – botulinum toxin type A in purified form and minimal concentration is safe for people.
• Temporary effect – the relaxed look does not stay forever, and over time mobility of muscles returns in full. A patient can decide to repeat the treatment or preserve a natural look.
• Opportunity to fine-tune the results by adjusting the dosage – the minimal dosage means that for every area, several units are required to achieve visible results. So with more or fewer units, it’s possible to ‘freeze’ the area completely or leave it partially movable, thus reducing the visibility of lines but not preventing light wrinkling.
• Safety and the status of FDA-approved medical substance – mentioned different botox brands are safe and medically regulated. Their status is confirmed in the USA and globally. 

Differences are subtle and related to the additives and molecular weight of the injectable. Some injectables are formulated with protective proteins that may interfere with the relaxation process or develop total resistance in some patients.

Molecular weight is a more technical matter, but in two injectables with the same molecular weight, the toxin molecules can be larger or smaller at the expense of additives like proteins. The difference in total molecular weight will play a role in the application of injectables and the intensity of relaxation the same number of units of each brand will provide.

A Guide to Reputable BoNT-A Injections And Comparison Of Their Key Properties

Since we’ve mentioned the four important and popular botox alternative brands, it’s time to explore the particularities of each brand in detail. It is these minute features that make a particular injectable preferable for a specific treatment area or a given subset of patients.

Botox  

Developed by the Irish medical company Allergan, Botox has become a household name for all BoNT-A injections. FDA granted its approval to the product back in 2002, and since then, it has become a prototype for developing other types of botox treatments for aesthetic applications. Botox is known for its relatively higher molecular weight, 900 kDa, while the content of onabotulinumtoxinA as such is 150 kDa (the essential standard for all injectables). The rest of the weight is delivered by additives like proteins and sodium chloride. The proteins have protective functions yet they can interfere with the efficiency of treatment in some patients.

Term Of Efficiency And Main Advantages

Botox, with its bigger molecules, is excellent for delivering targeted solutions for deep wrinkles on the forehead or crow’s feet. The result lasts 3 to 4 months, depending on a patient’s body reaction. The effect becomes visible in approximately 5 days, and full action is observable after 2 weeks. 

Possible Side Effects and Health Warnings

Side effects are usually mild, like tenderness, discomfort, and bruising in the location of injection. In some cases, flu-like symptoms or nausea may trouble a patient for a brief time. Temporary drooping of eyelids or brow skin may occur in rare cases but will disappear soon. The rarest consequence is the spreading of toxin beyond the injection area, which leads to symptoms similar to botulism in a mild form, i.e., inhibited breathing, body muscles relaxation, and slurred speaking.

Is Botox worth it? – read more.

Average Pricing

Price is usually charged per unit, and the lowest will be around $10 per unit. The upper bracket depends on the location and may reach $20 to $25 per unit. Multiply that by the number of units required for a given area, and the rough cost estimate for treatment is ready.     

Botox vs Dysport – read more.

Dysport  

Approved in 2009, Dysport is one of the closest Botox competitors in terms of popularity, yet it has particularities of application and effect. While including the same 150 kDa of botulotoxin that provide the required relaxing effect, the molecules of Dysport have lower molecular weight at the cost of the lower level of added proteins. Smaller molecules diffuse easily over a larger area, that’s why this wrinkle relaxer is great for treating the whole forehead with multiple wrinkles. Yet, since every injected unit naturally diffuses over a larger area, more units may be needed to achieve the desired outcome. One reservation about the product is that it contains milk proteins, so patients who have allergies to dairy food group should avoid it.

Term Of Efficiency And Main Advantages

Dysport’s one indisputable advantage is that its first results become visible already in 24 hours after the injection (although the full impact on the skin will be obvious in 5-7 days). However, its relaxing action lasts not as long as that of Botox. So it’s a go-to solution for those who want to try on an ‘improved skin look’ without long commitment, so to speak. 

Possible Side Effects and Health Warnings

As with Botox, side effects should be brief and mild, like discomfort in the place of injection, pain, or light bruising. Nausea, fatigue, or ‘flu’ symptoms are rare. Temporary drooping of an injected or adjacent area may be a result of non-professional injection (so choose a medical professional carefully). Botulism-like symptoms (not botulism itself, to make it clear) may appear on the rarest occasions when the injection diffuses too far, and the body starts producing antibodies.  

Average Pricing

Dysport tends to be more accessible, the price per unit being between $4 and $8 (depending on where you buy neurotoxin injections). But again, dozens of units will be required for a complete procedure, and it takes objectively more units of Dysport to get the same results that are achieved with fewer units of Botox.            

Xeomin       

Xeomin is one more relaxant with a good reputation, and for a reason. It was approved in 2019, and its uniqueness is its purity. Namely, the injectable does not have active proteins (although it features inactive albumin and sucrose), and as a result, it does not trigger resistance or intolerance in patients. Besides, its storage does not require refrigerating conditions, and it can be kept at room temperature.

Term Of Efficiency And Main Advantages

The significant advantage of Xeomin as a Botox alternative injection is that its performance is a bit stronger than that of Botox, and fewer units may be injected to see the desired outcomes. Besides, due to the lack of active proteins, Xeomin may be efficient for patients who cannot have Botox or Dysport because of body resistance. The product begins to act 5 to 7 days after an injection, and its cumulative effect lasts from 3 to 6 months, depending on the patient’s metabolism.

Possible Side Effects and Health Warnings         

Side effects are common with those of other botulotoxin injectables: pain, bruising, and swelling right after the injection, possible flu-like symptoms, temporary drooping in the treated area if the dosage was too large, and botulism-like symptoms if too large a dose diffused far beyond the designated area. The latter symptoms will recede quickly, but please notify a physician immediately if such a situation arises.  

Average Pricing

The pricing of Xeomin is close to that of Botox: $12 to $18 per unit. Don’t forget to multiply it by the number of units required for a planned procedure.

Jeuveau     

Last but not least, Jeuveau is a relative newcomer but has gained its audience. Approved by FDA in 2019, the relaxant features a composition similar to Botox and has an impressive molecular weight of 900 kDa. Jeuveau provides very similar significant muscle relaxing and wrinkle-smoothing effects, although its promotional campaigns targeting much younger audiences may create the impression of relative ‘lightness’ of its effect. No, the product is a full-weight botulotoxin injectable that is worth its money, and its costs are usually lower than Botox prices.

Term Of Efficiency And Main Advantages         

The first results surface in 3 to 5 days, so it’s not an overnight miracle solution, but it lasts an ample 3 to 6 months. Its key benefit is its lower pricing, while in all other aspects, it’s a regular good old botulotoxin of good performance.

Possible Side Effects and Health Warnings         

As with all previous injectables, side effects are as follows: after the injection – pain, bruising, and swelling; a couple of days later, drooping in injected or neighboring areas may appear temporarily. Nausea, fatigue, and flu-like feeling are also possible effects that will disappear. The most serious but rare unwanted outcome is a botulism-like body reaction to the diffusion of the agent. Yet it should also recede soon. 

Average Pricing

As said, Jeuveau costs less than Botox, with prices ranging from $8 to $16 per unit. As usual, remember to count how many units you may approximately need to get the total cost of a procedure (at rough).  

What Are Nuances In Injecting Various Neurotoxins?     

Since the action of all neurotoxins is similar, the injecting method is universal. A professional chooses an appropriate needle grade, attaches it to a vial with a relaxant, and injects it under the skin at points where relaxation is needed. A patient may be asked to strain muscles at the point of injection for higher precision. The number of injections per procedure and points of injection depends on the exact area of treatment and the condition of the skin to be improved.

The only remark concerning Xeomin is that due to its composition, it can be stored out of the fridge, so it should not surprise you. 

An injector will provide recommendations on post-treatment care if there are any special needs.               

FAQ    

Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin: what product has the longest action?           

Botox and Xeomin last roughly the same time, while Dysport’s effect can run out faster.  

Is it possible to say that any injectable is really the best?           

All botox different types listed here are approved and efficient, loved by medics and patients alike. They have their particularities, and in some situations, one brand can suit better than the other, and vice versa.

If a patient wants a ‘natural’ look, what injectable to use: Botox or Dysport?

The look depends on the number of units injected, not the brand used. Disport is ‘lighter’ in composition, but more units are required to achieve the relaxing effect. So, naturalness is gained through the adjustment of dosage.   

Safety considerations: is Botox or Dysport better?

All mentioned products are safe (when used properly), manufactured in compliance with regulations and the best medical practices, and approved by FDA.     

Conclusions     

We hope we have created a guide to neurotoxins for facials that cover all essential questions. All brands mentioned in the review are FDA approved, have undergone clinical testing, and demonstrate impressive results for various subsets of patients. A healthy fresh look and glowy skin are very important for emotional well-being and life satisfaction for many people. With this guide, you will be able to choose what suits you or your patients and achieve excellent results with safe and reputable injectables.

References

• https://www.advdermatology.com/blog/neurotoxin-units-deciphered/
• https://eternaldermatology.com/botox-dysport-xeomin-whats-the-difference/
• https://radiancemedspaatlanta.com/younger-you-blog/whats-the-difference-between-botox-dysport-xeomin-and-jeuveau
• https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/886465
• https://www.healthline.com/health/jeuveau