What's the Difference Between Botox, Jeuveau, Xeomin, and Dysport?

Before scheduling an appointment for any of these injections, you should familiarize yourself with their unique characteristics.

Botox, Xeomin, Dysport, and Jeuveau are all neurotoxins, but all differ in their chemical structure. The result is effectively the same for each of them, when injected muscles cannot contract and, instead, become temporarily paralyzed, the visible effect is the smoothing of wrinkles.

Botox was originally developed for spasms, and can be used, off-label, for therapeutic relief in the prevention of migraines, excessive sweating, and most recently, in treating TMJ or jaw clenching. Botox is FDA-approved to treat moderate to severe lines and wrinkles between the eyebrows (the “11s”) and on the forehead as well as crow’s feet. Patients can expect to see results within two weeks which can last anywhere from two to five months. Cost varies between providers but can range from $10 to $20 per unit.

Dysport is an injection that’s designed to block neurological signals to the targeted muscle tissue. Dysport uses a different formulation than Botox but still consists of the same basic neuromodulator that temporarily blocks neurological signals to the muscle or muscles in which it’s injected. Dysport can treat involuntary spasms of the neck muscles, limb spasticity, and, for cosmetic purposes, frown lines. It’s recommended for people with moderate or severe frown lines. Dysport injections are administered in the same way as BOTOX injections, with each session lasting about 10 minutes.

Xeomin is often used for the same purposes as both BOTOX and Dysport, including but not limited to the reduction of wrinkles and fine lines. Once injected into muscle tissue, Xeomin’s temporarily blocks neurological signals to the respective tissue, thereby forcing the muscle or muscles to relax.

Jeuveau works like other neurotoxins by temporarily blocking neurological signals to muscles. While relatively new — first approved by the FDA in 2019 — Jeuveau has become a popular alternative to BOTOX, especially with the millennials because of its incentives. It also works faster (2-3 days) and lasts slightly longer.

In terms of onset, Jeuveau and Dysport are the fastest working, followed by Xeomin and Botox. All four types of injections use BTX to force muscles to relax, but the formulation used in Dysport has the fastest onset at just three hours.

Resistance
Some people may develop a natural resistance to BOTOX, Dysport, Xeomin, or Jeuveau. Over time, for example, these injections may become less effective due to the creation of antibodies. A person’s immune system may identify the ingredients used in these injections as being a foreign invader, so it responds by producing antibodies that neutralize their effect. While resistance can occur with any of these four types of injections, it’s most common with BOTOX and Dysport injections.

Injection Units
Botox, Xeomin, and Jeuveau neurotoxins require approximately 40 to 60 units per session. However, it takes about twice the amount of Dysport to achieve the same or similar results as BOTOX, Jeuveau, and Xeomin. But don’t let that fool you into thinking Dysport is more expensive than the others; it is not.

Sessions
If you’re planning to get BOTOX, Dysport, Xeomin, or Jeuveau injections, you’ll need appointments every 3-4 months. Neither BOTOX, Dysport, Xeomin nor Jeuveau requires sedation. BTX injections are a minimally invasive procedure that’s performed using a small, thin needle. As a result, sedation isn’t required. During a typical session, you may be asked to contract the muscles to improve the effectiveness of the injections. When you contract a muscle, the injection can be made directly into the tissue for maximum effectiveness. Once the neurotoxin has been injected into a muscle, the muscle will begin to relax.