As we age, all of us develop lines and wrinkles. These lines and wrinkles make us look older – usually older than we feel. Fortunately there are effective, non-invasive treatments that can erase these lines and restore lost years in only a few minutes. There’s absolutely no need to look older than we feel. Dysport is a popular treatment option. Similar to Botox, Dysport was originally formulated to treat specifically glabellar lines. Glabellar lines are the vertical lines between our eyebrows. Often referred to as frown lines, as frowning wrinkles this area and in time, that repeated action breaks down the collagen and elastin there, causing the lines to deepen and even become permanent. That’s not a word we really like to use though, because there’s no need for these lines to be permanent. They can be either completely erased or greatly reduced with a simple and quick Dysport treatment.

How Does It Work

The botulinum toxin. The active ingredient in Dysport and Botox. Produced in laboratories from the botulism bacteria, this toxin blocks chemoreceptors on the muscles, preventing contraction. No muscle contraction means no wrinkles.

As with Botox, the active ingredient in Dysport is a toxin produced by the Clostridium Botulinum bacteria. While the word ‘toxin’ might sound scary, it’s really not as this toxin will only target very specific chemoreceptors on the muscles in the area of the injection. By blocking the production of these chemoreceptors, the botulinum toxin prevents the muscles from contracting. No muscle contraction means no dynamic wrinkles.

While there can be a small amount of spread to adjacent areas, this is rare and most of the time the effect is restricted to the injection site. If you’ve been told that using Dysport or Botox will prevent you from making facial expressions, this simply isn’t true. For example, Dysport injected to remove glabellar lines won’t affect any other area of the face. You’ll still be able to raise your eyebrows, wink and smile as normal. You’ll just be able to do all of these things without the lines appearing between your brows!

How Is Dysport Different From Botox?

While both use the same active ingredient, there are differences in the size of the protein molecules. Without going into a lot of very boring detail, what this means is that for some people, the smaller protein molecules in Dysport may reduce the formation of antibodies, slowing the breakdown of the botulinum toxin. Botox can also be used for a wider range of treatment areas, where Dysport is only for the treatment of glabellar lines.

Some people do report that Dysport works well for them, where they received less effective results from Botox. This will vary from one person to another. We can help assess which is right for you, and for the areas you want treated. Contact us for a free consultation.

What to Expect

For most patients, a noticeable improvement in appearance will be evident within 2 – 3 days. Any redness, swelling or tenderness in the treated area should clear up in about the same amount of time, although this may take longer for some people. Full effectiveness of a Dysport treatment will be seen after about a week.

You may see small bumps under your skin where the injections were done for a few hours or sometimes a few days after the treatment. These will smooth out as the Dysport diffuses into the treated area.

How Long Will a Treatment Last?

Expect the effects of a Dysport treatment to last from three to six months, depending mostly upon how much you tend to move that area of your face. The more movement in and around the area, the sooner your body will flush away the Dysport.

Duration of effect will also vary from one person to another. If you are very active or have a naturally high metabolism, you may need more frequent treatments than other people.

Gentlemen, Dysport is for you too! Men are even more susceptible to frown lines than women. There’s no need for this sign of stress and aging to rob you of your youthful appearance before your time.

Who Shouldn’t Get Dysport?

If you have had a previous allergic reaction to Dysport, Botox or Xeomin, are allergic to cow’s milk proteins, suffer from a neurological disorder, or have any type of skin infection or condition at the intended treatment site you should not receive Dysport treatments. In addition, it is inadvisable to have any unnecessary treatment while you are pregnant or nursing.

Pre-Treatment Instructions:

You should not use any kind of blood thinner, including Aspirin, Aleve, Ibuprofen or Motrin within one week of treatment. Also avoid the use of the following herbal supplements: garlic, ginko biloba, omega-3 capsules, and vitamin E. This will help to prevent bruising at the treatment site. If you do experience an unacceptable amount of bruising (which is rare but happens with some people who bruise easily) we have effective laser treatments to heal bruises much faster than normal.

Starting 3 days before treatment you should stop using anti-aging products such as , Alpha Hydroxy Acid, and Glycolic Acid. Also refrain from waxing, tweezing, bleaching, or using another hair removal product on the area to be treated.

You should not consume alcohol within 24 hours of treatment. This means both before and after.

What To Expect At Your Treatment

The procedure is quick and discomfort is minimal for most patients. We use very fine needles and the injections are quite small. The sensation is often described as pressure, stinging or burning rather than the piercing pain that most expect from a needle. Some patients feel nothing at all. For the ladies, there is some evidence that being close to your period may increase nerve sensitivity and thus discomfort. If you’re concerned about this you should set your appointment for a week or two after. Finally, should you be one of the very few who do experience an unacceptable level of discomfort during the procedure please let us know.

There is no down time after treatment. With only a few exceptions (see Post Treatment Care below), you’ll be able to continue on with your usual activities immediately after, although there may be some redness and swelling as well as small bumps at the injection sites. If you feel you’ll be sensitive about this, you should plan to be able to stay home for one to three days following treatment. This should be enough time for the worst of these effects to subside. Once again, if you do bruise, we can greatly speed the healing of these bruises with a laser bruising treatment.

Post Treatment Care

Try to exercise the muscles around the treated area. If you’ve had treatment to your frown lines, raise your eyebrows repeatedly and smile broadly, which will raise your cheeks. These exercises will help to diffuse and distribute the Dysport through the treated area.

You should avoid lying down for a few hours immediately after treatment. There is some evidence that this can adversely affect diffusion.

Avoid strenuous activity or exercise on the day of your treatment. This includes even milder forms of exercise such as yoga. Placing your body in the unusual positions that can occur during exercise can also adversely affect diffusion of the product.

If you experience swelling, you can apply an ice or a cold pack to the treated area, but be careful not to apply too much pressure or use a heavy bag or pack. Any excessive pressure to the area should be avoided for several days afterward. This definitely includes rubbing the treated area. Don’t do this! Be especially careful when washing the area or applying makeup so as not to apply undue pressure.

If you are experiencing discomfort, you may take Tylenol or other acetaminophen products.

If you will be outdoors, absolutely apply sunscreen to the treated area. A sunburn on top of the redness and swelling from the treatment won’t make any difference to the effectiveness, but it will be very uncomfortable.

Dysport vs. Botox

We offer both of these popular treatments at MagnifaSkin MedSpa in Wilmington, Delaware. Truthfully, this is kind of a ‘Coke vs. Pepsi’ scenario. If you’ve never had botulinum treatments before we can help advise which may be best for you, depending upon a number of factors. However, it may be best to try both (not at the same time of course) to see which works best for you.