Dysport in Buckhead and Cumming, Georgia

The label does not rate pain. In the pooled frown-line trials, injection site pain was reported by 3% of Dysport-treated people and 2% on placebo, and injection site reaction by 3% against under 1%. Such reactions can include numbness, discomfort, redness, tenderness, tingling, itching, stinging, warmth, irritation, tightness and swelling. Ask the office how it keeps you comfortable.

The label says that, as with all therapeutic proteins, antibodies are possible, and that comparing antibody rates across products may be misleading. In its frown-line studies, 1,554 people were tested across up to nine treatment cycles: 2 had binding antibodies before treatment, 3 more developed them afterward, and none developed neutralizing antibodies.

Some can. The label says aminoglycoside antibiotics, other agents that interfere with nerve-to-muscle signals, and muscle relaxants may increase its effect, and that anticholinergic drugs given afterward may add effects such as blurred vision. The Medication Guide also asks about allergy, cold and sleep medicines. Bring a list of everything you take.

Your injector decides, and the Dysport label urges care. That FDA-approved label, revised September 2023, says the effect of giving botulinum toxin products at the same time, or within several months of each other, is unknown, and that excessive weakness may be worsened if another toxin is given before the first has worn off. Tell your injector what you have had.

Studies do not show a clear difference. The labels say up to four months for Dysport and about three to four months for Botox Cosmetic. In a 2013 three-brand randomized trial, muscle activity returned to baseline at a median of about 140 days in women for both, with sex a stronger predictor than brand.

Ask where the product comes from and who will inject it. The Dysport label says its carton carries a unique hologram and that the product should not be used if the hologram is missing. The FDA warned in April 2024 that counterfeit Botox had been found in multiple states, so the same care applies to any toxin: an authorized source and a licensed, trained injector.

The FDA labels do not rank them. Both are approved for frown lines in adults, but Dysport only under age 65, while Botox Cosmetic also covers crow's feet, forehead lines and neck bands. The Dysport label says it is not for anyone allergic to cow's milk protein and that its units are not interchangeable with other brands. Compare the total cost of your plan, not the price per unit.

Per the Dysport label, it is not for anyone allergic to cow's milk protein, and its boxed warning says toxin effects can spread from the injection site, with swallowing and breathing problems that can be life threatening. In the frown-line trials, eyelid ptosis occurred in 2% and injection site reactions in 3%, and dry eye has been reported. Its only cosmetic approval is frown lines in adults under 65, so other cosmetic areas are off-label.