Just as brands like Band-Aid have become synonymous with adhesive bandages, Kleenex with tissues, and Wite-Out with correction fluid, “Botox” has been the household name for botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) injections since it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the temporary improvement of moderate to severe glabellar lines (i.e. the frown lines between the eyebrows) in 2002.

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We get questions every day from patients looking to lift the appearance of their skin. Many ask about Botox, its safety, and its effectiveness. Rest assured, Botox ticks both boxes and is in our toolkit at Premier Aesthetics. But there are other neuromodulators that are often better choices for patients. Dysport and Xeomin have been making waves over the last few years. So Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin; what’s the difference? For starters, they all fall under the umbrella of neuromodulators.

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As neuromodulators, they can temporarily alter the nerve impulses of targeted muscles, therefore reducing or eliminating contraction-induced wrinkles. Each brand has a slightly different formulation of the same substance, Botulinum Toxin A, but they all work the same way: they block the nerve impulses of the injected muscles to temporarily paralyze muscle movements that cause wrinkles. The most common targets are horizontal lines across the forehead and perpendicular frown lines between the brows (also called “The Elevens”), but many also rely on Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin for crow’s feet, nasal squint lines, lines around the neck, eyebrow lifting, and even profuse underarm sweating and migraines.

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In aesthetic medicine, botulinum toxin is used to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles caused by facial expressions (think: frowning, squinting, smiling, and the like) by injecting it into the muscles underlying the affected area. In turn, the lack of muscle contraction prevents the face from forming lines and wrinkles.

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Although BOTOX and Dysport use the same active molecule (botulinum toxin type A), there are a few distinct differences between the two products. The biggest difference between BOTOX and Dysport is the size of the molecule in the solution, how deep the injections are placed, and the number of non-toxic proteins surrounding the botulinum toxin molecule.

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Like Botox and Dysport, Xeomin is a botulinum toxin type A, which is approved to treat wrinkles like the "11" lines between the brows and frown lines. Botox and Xeomin work by the exact same mechanism, which is blocking the signals from nerves to muscles, causing the muscles to relax and wrinkles to smooth out. The primary difference between the products is that Botox has an accompanying, inactive protein, while Xeomin does not have additive. Xeomin is a purified form of the neurotoxin; it's manufactured in such a way that it removes accessory proteins from the active ingredient.

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Xeomin, Botox, Daxxify and Dysport are effective for the treatment of:

• Forehead lines

• Vertical lines between the brows

• Lines forming at the corners of eyes

• Can assist in the treatment of lines around the mouth

• Easy to tolerate with minimal pain and no downtime

• Safe and effective

• Performed by all injectors in Grand Forks at Premier Aesthetics

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