Botox/Dysport are prescription only medications that if prescribed by your doctor are effective at softening expression lines by preventing muscle movement. Most fine lines and wrinkles respond to Botox or Dysport, however, there are a few conditions and groups of people it is not appropriate for.

1. Women who are pregnant or nursing.

2. People with an anaphylactic egg allergy.

3. People who have had an allergic reaction to Botox or Dysport in the past.

4. People who have deep lines at rest (when not moving their muscles) may not notice a drastic change in their wrinkles, as their muscle are present even without muscle movement. However, over time with continued treatments, these lines may soften.

5. Botox/Dysport is not effective for sagging skin or crepey skin as this is due to skin laxity which will not be improved with Botox/Dysport treatment.

Botox/Dysport treatments do not have any downtime. You can leave the office and head back to work or out with friends and no one will notice a thing. In some cases, people may have small pin sized bruises – especially around the eyes.

For most people, there are no side effects whatsoever. It is important to follow all the aftercare instructions, such as staying upright for 4 hours afterward to prevent the product from shifting.

In very rare cases, Botox/Dysport can affect the muscles of the eyelid and create a heavy eyelid. This could happen from improper placement of the product, or from laying down or manipulating the area after treatment. This is not dangerous and will go away in 3 months. Our Doctors are fully trained in proper product placement to prevent this from happening.

The good news its Botox/Dysport treatments are virtually painless. The needles are very small and thin so you will not feel pain during the procedure – just small pricks.

Your first Botox/Dysport appointment will be approximately 30 minutes. This allows Dr. Stephanie to assess your areas of concern, discuss the best treatment options for you, and answer all of your questions. The procedure itself only takes about 5-10 minutes! This means, it is a great lunch-time procedure.

Follow-up visits are 15 minutes however extended appointment times are available if you would like more time to consult with Dr. Stephanie. Making sure you are comfortable is our priority.

Every person is a bit different, however, for most people, Dysport lasts between 11-14 weeks. Botox tends to last around 11-14 weeks as well. Some people metabolize Dysport or Botox quicker than others and may not experience as long-lasting results. On the other hand, some people’s results will last up to 4 months.

What is exciting about Dysport is how quickly people start to see results! Most people see results between 3-7 days after their Dysport treatment. The full effect is seen after 10-14 days.

Botox tends to take effect after 7 days and the full effect is seen after 10-14 days.

Dysport and Botox are both measured in units, but they are measured a bit differently. One unit of Botox is about the same as three units of Dysport. This means, if you are used to getting 10 units of Botox in your forehead, you will need 30 units of Dysport for the same effect.

Don’t worry, at Onyx Integrative Medicine & Aesthetics, Dysport is $3.33/unit which is 1/3 the price of 1 unit of Botox!

The number of units of Botox/Dysport you will need depends on a few factors.

1. Which areas are being treated: Some areas only take a few units, such as vertical lip lines whereas others like the frown lines (11’s) require a higher number. Some averages include:

Crow’s feet – 54-90 units Dysport | 18-40 units Botox

Frown lines (11’s) – 45-120 units | 15-40 units Botox

Forehead lines – 15-45 unit | 5-15 units Botox

2.The strength of your muscles: Deeper more established expression lines and wrinkles tend to need more units than lines that are just forming. Also, men tend to have stronger facial muscles than women and therefore require more units.

3. The intensity of ‘freezing’ you want: If you wish to slightly soften your expression you will need fewer units than somebody who wants to prevent all movement.