Jeuveau vs Botox: Differences, Unit Math and Price Ranges

What is the difference between Jeuveau and Botox?

They are close relatives. Both are botulinum toxin type A, which temporarily relaxes the muscle it is injected into and softens lines made by movement. The main differences are the maker, the FDA-approved uses and the price. Botox products were first approved in the U.S. in 1989; Jeuveau was first approved in 2019.

On paper they are built alike. A 2022 review in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open lists both as 900 kDa toxin complexes made with the same two added ingredients, human serum albumin and sodium chloride. Built alike does not mean interchangeable, though, as the section on units below explains.

The approvals differ more. The FDA label for Botox Cosmetic covers four cosmetic uses in adults: frown lines (glabellar lines), crow's feet (lateral canthal lines), forehead lines and vertical neck bands (platysma bands). The Jeuveau label covers glabellar lines only, and its boxed warning says it is not approved for any other condition. Using Jeuveau anywhere else is off-label, meaning the FDA has not approved that use.

Does Jeuveau work as well as Botox?

For frown lines, the head-to-head evidence so far says about as well. In a 2020 phase III trial of 540 adults with moderate to severe frown lines, 87.2% of the Jeuveau group and 82.8% of the Botox group had no or mild lines at maximum frown on day 30, and Jeuveau met the trial's test for noninferiority to Botox.

Noninferior is a specific claim. It means Jeuveau was shown to be not meaningfully worse than Botox; it does not mean it was better. The 4.4-point gap had a 95% confidence interval running from 1.9 points in Botox's favor to 10.8 points in Jeuveau's favor. Both products were given at the same number of units. Evolus, Jeuveau's maker, funded the trial, and its chief medical officer was one of the authors.

Jeuveau's two placebo-controlled phase III trials, EV-001 and EV-002, published in 2019 and also sponsored by Evolus, used a stricter yardstick: a two-grade improvement that both the investigator and the patient agreed on. By that measure, 67.5% and 70.4% of Jeuveau patients responded at day 30, against 1.2% and 1.3% on placebo. Those numbers look lower only because they measure something different, so do not compare them with the head-to-head figures.

How many units of Jeuveau equal Botox?

Officially, there is no conversion. Both FDA labels say their units cannot be compared to or converted into units of any other botulinum toxin product. Head-to-head trials have given both at the same number of units for frown lines and found similar results, but that was a study design choice, not a conversion rule you can apply to yourself.

Each label says its units are specific to the maker's own potency test, which is why neither allows conversion. A trial that gives two products at the same unit count shows how those doses compared in that study, nothing more. Dysport is a separate case: the 2022 review notes that more Dysport units are typically required for the same effect, which our Dysport vs Botox guide explains.

None of this is a dosing rule for you. Your injector decides the number of units after watching how your muscles move. The Jeuveau label also says the cumulative dose needs to be considered if other botulinum toxin products are being used, or have been used, for other approved purposes. Tell your injector what you have had, when, and how long it lasted.

How do you work out what Jeuveau will cost?

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) fee survey does not report a separate average for Jeuveau. Using the U.S. range of $8 to $16 per unit listed in a 2022 review, every 10 units adds about $80 to $160 before any separate fees. That is arithmetic on a published range, not a quote: actual prices vary by region, provider and year.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports one combined national average for all neuromodulators, $435 per treatment in its 2023 fee survey, without splitting out brands. It is an average of surgeon and physician fees and varies by region and provider. So a per-brand price you see online is one clinic's number or a rough range, not a market average.

Ask each clinic for the per-unit price of each brand it carries and the unit count it expects for you, then compare totals, since units are not interchangeable between brands. Our guide to Botox cost in Atlanta explains per-unit and per-area pricing and the questions worth asking. Derm Clinic MD offers both Jeuveau and Botox, and your consultation is the place to compare them for your face and budget.

What lasts longer, Botox or Jeuveau?

At the same unit dose, the limited evidence shows little difference. In a 2024 phase II trial of 154 adults, frown lines took a median of 149 days to return fully to baseline after Jeuveau and 148 days after Botox. Visible smoothing usually fades sooner than full return; the Botox Cosmetic label puts its effect on frown lines at about three to four months.

Read that trial for what it is. It was a small pilot study sponsored by Evolus, Jeuveau's maker, and its authors state it was not powered for formal statistical comparisons, so it cannot show that either product lasts longer. The head-to-head data for these two brands are thin: the trials discussed here were all funded by Jeuveau's maker, and all studied frown lines only.

You may see a single study reported as showing one brand lasting longer than another. One study, especially one funded by a manufacturer, does not settle the question. If longevity matters most to you, say so at your consultation; your injector can explain what is realistic with approved dosing, based on how you have responded before.

How long do Jeuveau injections last?

A 2022 review lists Jeuveau's effect as lasting 3 to 6 months, the same range it gives for Botox. In Jeuveau's two phase III trials, between 43% and 57% of treated patients were still rated as improved or much improved at day 150, depending on the trial and on whether the investigator or the patient was asked.

It starts working within days. The 2022 review lists an onset of 3 to 5 days for both Jeuveau and Botox. If you are planning around a wedding, a reunion or a summer trip, booking about two weeks ahead gives the effect time to settle and leaves room for a follow-up check before the date.

The Jeuveau label says retreatment should be no more frequent than every three months. How long it lasts for you depends partly on you. The American Academy of Dermatology notes that with repeat treatment for lines and wrinkles, the muscle may thin, which can make results last longer over time.

What side effects do Jeuveau and Botox share?

The two labels list similar side effects. In the Jeuveau label, the most common reactions in frown-line trials were headache (12%) and eyelid ptosis, a drooping lid (2%). In Botox Cosmetic's frown-line trials, eyelid ptosis was reported in 3%. Both labels carry a boxed warning about distant spread of toxin effect.

The Botox Cosmetic warning lists symptoms such as generalized muscle weakness, double vision, drooping eyelids, and trouble swallowing, speaking or breathing. Both warnings say these effects have been reported hours to weeks after injection and that swallowing and breathing difficulties can be life threatening. The labels advise immediate medical attention if those occur, and they warn that an existing neuromuscular disorder may exacerbate the effects, so tell your injector about any such condition.

Most side effects are mild and short-lived, such as swelling, redness, soreness or bruising, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. The Jeuveau label adds that most side effects appear in the first week and, while generally temporary, can last several months or longer. Follow your written aftercare instructions, and your injector will tell you what applies to you.

Which should you choose, Jeuveau or Botox?

For frown lines, the trial evidence does not point to a meaningful difference at matching unit doses, so the choice usually comes down to price, the areas you want treated and how you have responded before. If you want crow's feet, forehead lines or neck bands treated with a product FDA-approved for that area, Botox Cosmetic holds those approvals.

Some people stay with what has worked for them. Others try a different brand if an effect seems to fade sooner than they would like. Either path is reasonable. What matters more is that your injector knows your full history and uses genuine product from an authorized source, which the FDA urged patients to confirm in its 2024 alert about counterfeit Botox.

At Derm Clinic MD, a physician-led med spa with offices in Buckhead and Cumming, every treatment starts with an in-person consultation, and Jeuveau, Botox and Dysport are all offered. You can read our Jeuveau page, our Botox page and our Dysport page before you come in. When you are ready, book a consultation and bring your questions.

This article is general education and is not medical advice. It does not replace an in-person consultation. Whether a treatment suits you, and what result is realistic, depends on your health history and an examination.

Derm Clinic MD · Last updated October 2026.