Dysport® is FDA-approved for the treatment of frown lines. Off-label, it is used to treat areas that BOTOX is used for.

A popular choice and alternative to Botox®

Dysport® (pronounced Diss-port) was first launched in the UK in 1991 and has been available in the United States for cosmetic use since 2009. It smoothens wrinkles by temporarily reducing movement in certain facial muscles. It offers quick results and lasts up to four months, giving a natural and smooth look.

Many patients are convinced that Dysport works more quickly than Botox does (about two to three days compared to three to five). If you find that one product is no longer working the way you want it to, switching to one of the others may help.

These before and after photos were taken 3 weeks apart with the patient in repose.

How are DYSPORT® and BOTOX® Cosmetic similar?

Dysport and Botox are what we call neuromodulators. They are both derived from the same botulinum toxin type A and are approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). They are each manufactured by different pharmaceutical companies, and compete in both the therapeutic and cosmetic market. Many providers use them interchangeably.

Photos taken 3 weeks apart with patient actively frowning and squinting.

How are DYSPORT® and BOTOX® Cosmetic different?

At recommended doses for the temporary improvement of frown lines, a BOTOX treatment contains 0.18 nanograms of “core active neurotoxin” whereas DYSPORT has 0.27 nanograms. This might be why many patients feel that DYSPORT works more quickly than BOTOX does. DYSPORT activity spreads out more from the point of injection in comparison to BOTOX. An experienced injector selects his/her preferred “tool for the job.”

DYSPORT has very tiny amounts of a highly purified protein refined from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. There are no active bacteria in DYSPORT, therefore it cannot replicate.

Dysport has a very small amount of cow’s milk protein as a protectant.

The duration of effect of DYSPORT for frown lines is about 3 to 4 months, though it may last up to 5 months. Take everything you read on the Internet with a grain of salt.

Longevity of effect with any neuromodulator in large part depends on how much is injected, how it is injected, and the individual patient’s biology.

Dysport is approved in 69 countries and has 25 years of clinical experience worldwide. DYSPORT injections are widely viewed as safe, effective, and largely without serious side effects. It is important to be under the care of a licensed and skilled health care provider who understands both the science and art of performing these treatments. The most common side effects include mild discomfort, swelling, and bruising at the injection site.

Since DYSPORT effects tend to spread out slightly more, the injector considers this at the time of injection.

If you are allergic to human albumin or cow’s milk protein, you should not receive Dysport.

Any neuromodulator may not be right for you if:

  • You have had surgical changes to your face
  • You have very weak muscles in the treatment area
  • Your face looks very different from side-to-side
  • The injection site is inflamed
  • You have droopy eyelids or sagging eyelid folds
  • You have deep facial scars
  • You have thick, oily skin
  • Your wrinkles can’t be smoothed by spreading them apart
Many people worry that their faces will shrivel or become more wrinkled after they stop using DYSPORT. The reality is that DYSPORT helps delay the aging process. When you stop getting DYSPORT, your expression lines won’t reappear overnight. Your skin will look smoother with fewer wrinkles, and you will look younger relative to your age.

The effects of DYSPORT may last for months, but DYSPORT is broken down into harmless particles that leave your system completely long before that. The duration of the effect is temporary, but typically lasts for months because the Botox temporarily affects a specific type of protein within the nerve endings that normally helps the muscle contract. The beneficial effects of treatment wear off when your body repairs that protein.

To improve the look of moderate to severe frown lines between the eyebrows, it is approved for adults under the age of 65.

For lower limb spasticity, it is approved for children 2 years of age and older.

Most likely not, but the decision is up to your healthcare provider.

The “adults under 65 …” statement was based on the clinical trials design that was ultimately presented to the US FDA for approval. In reality, men and women of all ages including those over the age of 65-years are receiving neuromodulator treatments.