Dysport is a treatment similar to Botox, that is pending FDA approval.

Like Botox it is neurotoxin, both of which are derived from the food poisoning organism Clostridium botulinum type A.

Dysport has been approved in the UK for a number of years, and is slightly more expensive than Botox there. It was approved for use before Botox in New Zealand.

Like Botox, the first use of Dysport was for a number of nerve and eye conditions such as spasticity (certain muscles constantly receive the signal to tighten) and strabismus (improper alignment of the eyes).

Both of these neurotoxins work by acting on nerve terminals. This stops the nerve being able to signal its muscle to contract. The muscles relax. They become paralyzed. The relaxation of muscles in the forehead results in frown lines being much less obvious.

A study suggested that Dysport may spread further from the injection site than Botox, though this has not been confirmed. Greater spreading would mean less injections, but may increase the possibility of other muscles being temporarily paralyzed.

A more recent study reported that Dysport is longer lasting in African American women than white women. It was also more effective in women with less facial muscle volume. This suggests that the dose should be individually adjusted for facial muscle mass.

The effectiveness seems to be similar to Botox.

Since Botox is so established in the US, I wonder whether Dysport, since it does not seem to offer any major advantage will take off in the US.

Would you/do you use Botox?

photo credit: upturnedface

[tags]Dysport, Botox, muscle, neurotoxin[/tags]