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Okay, so Botox and similar injections are “affordable medspa skincare”, but they’re not, like, actually affordable, right? Like, if it costs $700 three times a year it’s not actually affordable, it just costs less than the other stuff. 

I think that’s an important distinction to start off this post about whether or not dysport lasts longer than botox — because this stuff is less expensive than a facelift but still a sizeable annual expense. So you want to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth. 

Because nothing causes frown lines faster than spending more than you need to on your injectables. This post will go over Botox and Dysport, but also a new player on the scene that you may not have heard of yet! Let’s figure out the longest-lasting, most cost-effective way to get injectables. 

(Thinking about combining them with microneedling? More on that here.)

What are Botox and Dysport?

Let’s start with what’s the same: they’re both injectable treatments of a substance called botulinum toxin type a. They’re both injected into a muscle to weaken it. And, cosmetically, they’re primarily used for the treatment of facial wrinkles. They get injected into facial muscles to treat certain facial lines or the appearance of wrinkles. There are all sorts of trending uses of these Botox injections, but the most common ones treat wrinkling like the 

• “crow’s feet” around the outer corners of the eyes, 
• “frown lines” or glabellar lines, vertical lines between the eyebrows
• and horizontal forehead lines

Over the course of a few days after treatment, the muscle contractions weaken, reducing the muscle movement and smoothing the treated area. 

And overall, they are wildly effective! If you start treatment when you have the appearance of fine lines with your face relaxed, you’ll see the lines disappear. (Clarification: make sure you slept well and your skin is hydrated. If you still have lines, you might consider treatment. Having a few fine lines when you’re dehydrated or you’ve been up all night does not make Botox a good use of your money!)

(They also have other cool uses: they can treat excessive sweating, help migraine sufferers, and reduce muscle spasms.)

What’s the difference between Botox and Dysport? 

Chemistry stuff in one sentence: the toxin bonds to a different protein that makes them behave slightly differently once they’re injected into the skin. 

(That wasn’t so bad, right?) 

Dysport “spreads” a little more once it’s injected; Botox is more likely to stay put. 

But the thing that most people are most likely to care about directly: they’re priced differently because they have different strength or potency levels. 

The first time I got Dysport I was convinced that I had found a much cheaper medspa to get my forehead done. I knew they had a different type of injection but I didn’t realize that it was a totally different substance. I was imagining a Pepsi and Coke situation. 

So, I was expecting my usual 28 units of baby Botox and I was absolutely shocked when the provider said 90 units. I thought I was going to walk out of there looking like a wax statue. 

The provider did explain at the initial consultation, and I hope that I hid that I was a little dejected about the money I hadn’t actually saved! The cost was very slightly more than my usual, but I was satisfied with the Dysport treatments overall.

What’s the cost difference between units of Dysport and units of Botox?

Overall, a unit of Botox will have the same effect as three units of Dysport. So, if you usually put ten units of Botox between your eyebrows, plan on needing thirty units of Dysport. The good news is, though, that  Dysport units are significantly cheaper than a unit of Botox! So you pretty much break even.

So, overall, the best choice for you is the one that gives you your most desired outcome. And for me, my most desired outcome is paying less and getting fewer injections! If I can get three of these cosmetic treatments a year instead of four, I’ve saved a significant amount of money. (An older friend who has been religious about her Botox treatment says that she can now go every six month and maintain her results!) 

Does Dysport last longer than Botox?

Dysport takes effect quicker than Botox does. You’ll see it in 2-3 days rather than a week. It also typically has a faster recovery time because it requires fewer injections.

But that doesn’t mean it starts sooner and ends sooner. Both treatments last approximately the same amount of time: 3-6 months. 

And both treatments have the same window where you should go get another treatment: 3-6 months. So, unfortunately, switching to Dysport is not a guaranteed way to stretch out the time before treatments. 

However! The way that people respond to Botox units vs. a unit of Dysport is pretty individual. Some people will metabolize their toxin in less than three months, and others will find that even from the beginning, toxin lasts longer for them. So, I do think it’s worth it to at least try the other product and see if it lasts any longer for you personally. 

The longer-lasting Botox alternative that isn’t Dysport…Daxxify

If you love your Botox results but just aren’t going to reliably get cosmetic injectables done every three months (me), there is an alternative. 

New on the market — so new that I can’t find anyone near me who offers it yet — is DAXXIFY, a Botox alternative treatment that says that it will last six to nine months. So this is potentially a very attractive option for managing costs down! 

The only places that I could find that were actually supplying prices were extremely high-end places in New York and LA. And they weren’t even giving prices by unit, they were talking prices by area. So, one pricey place (that I won’t link lol) was listing one treatment area with Botox at $500, and one treatment area with Daxxify at $750! 

So, I don’t think those are great prices, but I think those are rich-people-markups. But if we can do a little math and use the ratios, then we’re looking at a treatment that lasts two times as long but costs one-and-a-half times as much, which is a decent savings. 

Also worth thinking about is the time you spend on appointments and all that. I think I’m giving myself forehead wrinkles by worrying about how long it’s been since my last botulinum toxin injections, as sad as that is! 

So I will be watching Daxxify with interest and waiting for it to come to my area (and my price point). I look forward to updating this post with the details! 

What else can I do to make my Botox last longer?

The same answer as every other skincare question: sunscreen! 

Believe it or not, one of the external factors that influences how long your Botox lasts is sun exposure. You go to all the trouble to find a good place, you see the plastic surgeon instead of the Groupon joint, you pay for your Dysport injections, you love the results…. And then they only last two months because you got too much sun. 

Honestly, how mad would you be?? I would be so mad. 

So, if you like the effects of Botox or effects of Dysport, one of the best investments you can make in your treatment is to wear sunscreen. Since sunscreen is also one of the best investments you can make in an overall youthful appearance, it’s basically a no-brainer. 

I wrote more about Botox aftercare here: Can I Eat After Botox? Toxin Aftercare to Maximize Results

Are there risks to Dysport and Botox?

The most common risks are temporary. An unskilled injector can accidentally place toxin in the wrong muscle, leading to a droopy eyebrow or lip. The influencer Whitney Buha had this happen and went public with it (pictures at the link). The good news is, you only have this issue for a few months, and just like how your toxin wears off where you do want it, it wears off if you put it where you don’t want it. 

The best way to avoid the droop (it’s called ‘ptosis’!) is to track down someone with years of experience. People suggest a plastic surgeon or a board-certified dermatologist, but I also love a Nurse Practitioner in a cosmetic office. (I feel like NPs just listen so much more!) A medical license is not enough! Just because your dentist can buy Botox doesn’t mean your dentist should do Botox! 

Other minimal side effects: bruising at the injection site, swelling or pain, and watery eyes. Headaches and neck pain are possible. Infections are possible too–the most frequent cause of infection is patients putting makeup on too soon. So wait six hours! 

Serious side effects of Botox and similar toxins are extremely rare. When there are side effects, they are typically for therapeutic uses (like muscle spams and sweating), not cosmetic uses. However — the serious side effects associated with cosmetic use were almost all from administering a toxin to the neck, causing difficulty swallowing. I actually didn’t know this before I started researching this article, but that’s enough information for me to decide not to consider Botox in my neck in the future. 

Being educated about the potential side effects is a smart way to go, whether you’re just thinking about getting started with toxins or if you’re a pro. 

Will you try Daxxify? Are you going to change anything to make your toxins last longer? Let me know in the comments.