Injectables · Neuromodulators
Dysport in Fort Worth
Dysport is a neuromodulator, the same family of treatment as Botox and Xeomin. It is not interchangeable with them unit for unit, and it does not behave identically once it is in the tissue, which is why keeping all three in the room is worth more than defaulting to whichever one is most familiar.
- OnsetOften 2–3 days, settled at ~2 weeks
- DurationTypically 3–4 months
- FDA-approved areaFrown lines between the brows
- ReviewTwo-week check included
What Dysport is actually approved for
This is the part most comparison articles skip. Dysport’s cosmetic FDA approval covers the glabellar lines only, meaning the vertical frown lines between the brows. Botox Cosmetic is approved for the glabella, crow’s feet, forehead and platysmal neck bands. Xeomin is approved for the glabella, crow’s feet and forehead.
That does not mean Dysport cannot be used elsewhere. Treating the forehead or crow’s feet with Dysport is common, legal and clinically reasonable, and good injectors do it every day. It is off-label use, and you should be told that is what is happening rather than handed a chart implying every product is approved for everything. Lindsey will tell you which product she is using, in which area, and whether that use is on-label or off.
The full product-by-product breakdown is on the neuromodulator page.
Units do not convert one to one
A Dysport unit is not a Botox unit, and the labeling for both products says so explicitly. The ratio generally used is somewhere around two and a half to three units of Dysport for every one unit of Botox.
The practical consequence: a quote of fifty units of Dysport and a quote of fifty units of Botox are not the same treatment, and comparing price per unit between different products tells you almost nothing. If you are calling around Fort Worth for prices, ask for the total for the area being treated and the product being used. Anyone advertising a per-unit price without naming the product is not giving you a number you can compare.
If you already know your Botox dose, bring it. Converting it accurately is the difference between picking up where you left off and starting over.
How Dysport behaves differently
It tends to start working sooner. Many people notice softening at two to three days rather than three to five. Both products settle at about two weeks and both generally last three to four months, so the difference is onset rather than duration.
It spreads a little further from the injection point. The molecule is smaller and diffuses more. Across a broad area that can mean a smoother, more even result from fewer injection points; in a small, tightly bounded area it means placement has to be more deliberate. Neither is automatically better. It is a property to work with rather than a selling point.
Duration depends far more on your metabolism, your dose and how strong the muscle is than on which of the three products was used. Anyone telling you one lasts meaningfully longer than the others for everyone is overselling.
How Lindsey doses it
The dose is set by the muscle, not by the area. A strong glabellar complex and a light one do not get the same number of units, and treating them as though they do is the most common reason people end up either frozen or wondering why nothing happened.
The goal is a face that still moves. You should be able to look surprised, look concerned and look like yourself. What should go is the line that stays behind when your face returns to neutral.
A first treatment gets a conservative dose and a two-week review. Adding a small amount at two weeks is easy. Taking it back is not possible, and waiting it out takes months.
Questions people actually ask
Dysport: frequently asked
How many units of Dysport will I need?
It depends on the muscle rather than the area. Because the conversion from Botox runs roughly two and a half to three Dysport units per Botox unit, the number will look much larger than a Botox dose for the same treatment. If you know your previous dose and product, bring both.
Is Dysport cheaper than Botox?
Per unit, yes. Per treatment, usually comparable, because you need more units to achieve the same effect. Compare the total for the area treated, not the price per unit. Pricing at Manor Fort Worth is confirmed in writing at your complimentary consultation.
How long does Dysport take to work?
Often two to three days for the first softening, with the settled result at about two weeks. Judging it before then will give you the wrong impression in either direction.
How long does Dysport last?
Generally three to four months, much like Botox and Xeomin. People who are very physically active or who have larger, stronger muscles in the treated area often find it wears off at the shorter end.
Can I switch from Botox to Dysport?
Yes, and no washout period is needed. Bring your previous dose and product so it can be converted properly rather than estimated.
Can Dysport be used on my forehead or crow’s feet?
It can, and it is done routinely, but those areas are outside Dysport’s FDA-approved cosmetic indication, which covers the frown lines between the brows only. That is off-label use. It is legal and clinically reasonable, and you should be told when it is happening so you can decide with the full picture.
Will Dysport freeze my face?
Not if it is dosed to the muscle rather than to a protocol. A frozen look comes from treating every muscle in a region at a uniform dose instead of the specific muscles producing the line that bothers you.
Not sure this is the right place to start? The guide to choosing a nurse injector in Fort Worth covers what to ask, and what to be wary of, before you book anything.
Related
- Neuromodulators Botox Botox softens the lines that come from movement, and it is still what most people mean when they say wrinkle relaxer.
- Neuromodulators Xeomin Xeomin is a neuromodulator in the same family as Botox and Dysport, and what sets it apart is what has been taken out of it.
- Filler & structure Full facial balancing Filler is not a volume competition.
- Lips & perioral Lip filler Lip filler, placed well, restores what a lip has actually lost: definition at the border, support in the body, hydration through the tissue.
- Light & laser BBL HERO, Halo & MOXI Injectables address structure and movement.
Disclosure and scope. Lindsey Strelecki, BSN, RN is employed as an aesthetic injector at Manor Aesthetics & Wellness, Fort Worth, and treatments described on this page are performed at that practice under its medical direction. This page is general education, not medical advice, and reading it does not create a nurse-patient relationship. Whether any treatment is appropriate for you is determined at an in-person evaluation. Individual results vary and no result is guaranteed. Product names are the trademarks of their respective manufacturers.
Where these facts come from. What each product is approved to treat is set by the FDA and published by the company that makes it. Those are the sources for the approval statements on this page: DYSPORT (abobotulinumtoxinA), Galderma, BOTOX Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA), AbbVie. Approved indications change; if anything here disagrees with the manufacturer, the manufacturer is right and this page is out of date.