People want to look beautiful and young, which makes them choose various medical and cosmetic treatments. Botulinum toxins are a popular choice for most people when it comes to muscle relaxation. They relax the muscles to eliminate wrinkles and other types of facial lines. Once these wrinkles are temporarily relaxed, the face starts appearing younger than the actual age. There are other cosmetic treatments also, which contribute to facial beauty. Since we are talking about botulinum toxins, here are the three popular types that often cause confusion. People who are not aware of the core differences often get confused about the injection selection. Medical experts have a clear idea, but some might struggle to differentiate. So, here is the guide that can give an idea for better selection. All three types have slight differences, especially one of them. Dysport It is an abobotulinumtoxinA injection that can treat facial lines of various types along with other issues. The other issues are cervical dystonia and spasticity, where the muscles need to be relaxed. The protein complex is small in size. Dysport injections contain these accessory proteins, which create antibodies. These antibodies could reduce the effectiveness compared to Xeomin. It doesn’t mean that Dysport is ineffective at all; instead, the antibodies sometimes reduce the efficiency. The proteins in them help the toxins reach the desired and surrounding areas. The same proteins help treat wide areas like the forehead against wrinkles. Partner with Meidibeauty and choose it as your Dysport supplier to get better quality. Botox If you look at Botox, it has a large protein complex, which makes it an onabotulinumtoxinA. The accessory proteins help it reach the targeted spot to relax muscles for a specific period. Before you know about its facial treatment, find out about other medical applications. It treats spasticity, chronic migraine, blepharospasm, overactive bladder, cervical dystonia, and axillary hyperhidrosis. All these problems need muscle relaxation for temporary treatment. Since Botox also contains proteins, it also creates antibodies, which leads to a resistance factor. This factor may sometimes reduce the efficiency because the antibodies tend to resist the toxins from relaxing muscles. Xeomin Then there is a slightly different formulation, which is incobotulinumtoxinA. Xeomin is different because it has no accessory proteins. All it contains are active ingredients (botulinum toxin type A) for faster results. Therefore, Xeomin is known as a naked neurotoxin. Besides its medical cosmetic use, it treats cervical dystonia, sialorrhea, blepharospasm, and spasticity. Since it doesn’t contain accessory proteins, there is less risk of antibody formation and reaction, which means there will be no resistance against efficiency. Also, it offers precise treatment without spreading to other areas since it has no accessory proteins. Botox vs Dysport vs Xeomin If we do a comparison, there will be some factors that will help us understand the differences better. All three appear similar to general people, but they are different in terms of results. However, some factors are similar in all three, like side effects and results duration. Primary Targeted Areas on the Face All three are common choices for facial treatment, especially on the upper facial region. The wrinkles on the forehead and nearby areas get suitable treatment from all three types of botulinum toxins. Those prime locations of the face are the ones below. Lateral canthal lines Glabellar lines Forehead lines Dysport and Botox show slightly slower results because they depend on the accessory proteins present in them. Those proteins need time to reach the targeted spot and the nearby areas. However, Xeomin shows fast treatment since it doesn’t have any accessory proteins in it. Besides, there are some other facial locations, like the middle and lower ones, that can be treated by these three injections. Xeomin can treat bunny lines and lip lines, also. Botox can also treat bunny lines, along with tear trough and lipstick lines. Dysport treats brow lift along with bunny lines. Accessory Proteins and Effectiveness The biggest difference between the Xeomin and the other two is the accessory proteins. They affect the performance and results, which is why the selection process needs attention. Accessory proteins help the botulinum toxin type A reach the targeted areas, which is why Dysport and Botox take more time to relax muscles. On the other hand, Xeomin has no accessory proteins to reach the targeted spot. It reaches the spot precisely and faster than the other two types. That increases the effectiveness of Xeomin because it doesn’t form antibodies in the patient. The antibodies cause resistance, resulting in slower performance of the injection, and this is why Xeomin is faster and precise. Injection Dispersion Rate Dysport has a better dispersion rate in other areas, which makes it suitable for the forehead. Some facial areas need fewer injections because they depend on a high dispersion rate. If the injection disperses well, the whole area can get muscle relaxation. Botox also provides a similar or slightly less dispersion rate, which makes it a suitable choice for forehead wrinkles. The accessory proteins in both injections help them disperse for wide-area treatment. However, Xeomin has almost no dispersion since it contains no accessory proteins. When it comes to precise treatment without affecting nearby areas, Xeomin becomes useful. It offers precise treatment of specific muscles in the face. Who Should Not Have Them? All three can pose a risk of allergic reaction depending on each patient’s medical history. Since they are botulinum toxins, they can surely affect other parts of the body. Every patient has a different medical condition, lifestyle, and immunity level, which means patients can face multiple issues. People who have specific medical conditions, such as those below, need to share their details with doctors before cosmetic treatment. Breathing, speaking, and swallowing problems. People with a cow’s milk allergy Breastfeeding women Pregnant women Patients who are already on medications. People with bleeding, swallowing, or breathing problems. Patients with drooping eyelids. Patients who have already faced side effects from other types of botulinum toxins. Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome Myasthenia gravis Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) Side Effects Then there are some side effects that occur in many patients because of how their bodies react. It is normal because botulinum toxins create antibodies, and the reactions are expected. However, some side effects could be severe, which means patients need to visit doctors right after they occur. Swelling or pain at the injection site Dry mouth Headache Body pain Rise in blood pressure Tiredness UTI, cloudy, bloody, painful, or smelly urination Pain in the nose and throat section Breathing or swallowing problems Sweating Drooping eyelids Blurred or double vision Temporary blindness Medical professionals like dermatologists, medical aestheticians, and cosmetologists can guide according to medical history and condition. People who already have medical issues need to be extra careful when getting Dysport, Botox, or Xeomin injections. All three can cause side effects, and the medical professional needs to be aware of them in advance. Results Duration Boto and Dysport take more time than Xeomin, and the reason is the same. It is the accessory protein that we have mentioned earlier. The proteins take time to spread the botulinum toxins in the targeted area, and antibodies also form as a result. This process could increase the result duration in these two types. Usually, Dysport and Botox take 3-4 days to show results. However, Xeomin may show results within 2 days, and patients often want it for faster results. Its precise treatment takes less time just because of the absence of accessory proteins. Therefore, doctors may choose Xeomin for fast results on patients who are in urgent need. Downtime and Precautions Usually, there is no downtime in any of the three botulinum toxins. However, there are some precautions that patients need to follow to avoid any problems. They must avoid rubbing their face. Neither any cosmetic nor skincare cream must be applied within 48 hours of having cosmetic treatment. Facial massage is not a good idea since it will disrupt the chemicals injected in the face. Even touching the face in the first 48 hours will be a bad idea. Must avoid drinking alcohol and even cigarettes. Tight headbands will cause pressure on the face, especially on the forehead. So, avoid wearing headbands for two days after the treatment. Must avoid direct exposure to UV rays and even fire from the stove. That means patients need to keep their faces covered when leaving home on a sunny day. Also, they need to avoid spending much time in the kitchen when the stove is on. When sleeping, one must avoid sleeping on the face because it will impose pressure on the injected site. Lastly, taking blood thinners will cause problems because the injected site could start bleeding. So, it must be avoided. Lasting Period The lasting periods are similar for all three types. Moreover, there are a few factors that could give different lasting periods or even the same botulinum toxin type. Those factors are the immune system, lifestyle, diet, and even stress level. People with a healthy lifestyle and a better diet may get a longer period. Usually, three to four months is a standard lasting period for all three botulinum toxins. Any of them or all could last even up to six months. Conclusion Dermatologists, medical aestheticians, and cosmetologists have to choose botulinum toxins carefully. A general person might think all injections are similar, but there is a massive difference between each type. Only if we pick Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin, all three appear similar in results. However, they are different in formulation, dispersion rate, effectiveness, and other factors. This guide is enough to help readers select the type of botulinum toxin each patient requires. However, only a medical expert knows the best, which one is medically fit for their patients.
