Most people today have heard of Botox, an injectable that helps reduce wrinkles and sometimes serves medical purposes, as well. Yet its main ingredient, the botulinum toxin, is not only found in Botox but in two alternative treatments: Dysport and Xeomin.
What is Botox?
Botox falls under the category of injectables, which are a type of cosmetic treatment that injects certain substances into the skin to rejuvenate it or give it a more youthful appearance. Botox can be used to treat not just the signs of aging in the skin but a number of medical conditions, including everything from migraine headaches to excessive underarm sweating. Most commonly, however, it is used for cosmetic purposes.
In fact, injectables are some of the most common cosmetic treatments in the country, and Botox along with the Dysport and Xeomin Botox alternatives are the most popular of these procedures. In 2013 alone, more than $2.5 billion was spent on injectables, followed by nearly $1.9 billion on skin rejuvenation in the growing nonsurgical cosmetic procedure industry. Treatments featuring the botulinum toxin increased by 15.6% that same year, and they remained the most popular noninvasive procedure for the 10.3 million women who sought cosmetic treatments in 2013.
So how do these treatments differ from Botox?
The Xeomin Botox alternative is made by Merz Pharmaceuticals and has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for a number of uses. Like Botox, Xeomin uses the botulinum toxin to help paralyze facial muscles, but it does not include any additives beyond botulinum toxin type A. This process smooths wrinkles and reduces the appearance of fine lines on the patient’s skin. However, the treatment is also used for those with cervical dystonia, which causes pain in the neck and shoulders, and blepharospasm, which is an uncontrolled twitch of the eyelids. One of the reasons why doctors may use a Xeomin Botox alternative is that the substance does not need to be refrigerated, which makes distribution a little bit easier. So far, more than 84,000 people worldwide have been used this treatment.
Dysport is the other alternative Botox treatment. It is also approved by the FDA for wrinkle reduction. Like Botox, it can also be used to treat excess perspiration, yet it is mostly used for cosmetic purposes on the face and neck.
In some cases, doctors can also recommend no needle wrinkle reduction treatments for patients that don’t want to use injectables. These alternatives may include chemical peels and certain types of laser treatments. Laser cellulite removal is another option for those who would like to see toned, firm skin.
Which option is right for you? Only you can know, and you can find out more by talking to a professional about your options. If you have additional questions, reach out to us or leave us a comment.
Leave a reply