 |
|
 |
|
|
|
Find a Botulinum Toxin
Specialist
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ask The Doctor
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Injections and Skin Creams | | |
|
|
|
| Botox® Botox, which is made and marketed by the pharmaceutical company Allergan, was the first botulinum toxin to be approved for both therapeutic and cosmetic uses in the United States. Millions of people around the world have received Botox treatments. Botox is injected into muscles in the treatment area, where the drug temporarily inactivates the nerves that would normally cause the muscles to contract (and thus wrinkles and sweat to form). Treatments are short (usually no longer than 10 minutes), relatively painless and require no downtime afterward. You can go right back to your usual daily activities. Results last for up to four months. If treatment is not repeated, your wrinkles and lines will eventually reform or your underarms will resume their excessive production of sweat. | | Dysport® Dysport, sold in the United States by the pharmaceutical company Medicis, received the approval of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Spring 2009. It’s been used by physicians in Europe, Asia, and elsewhere, however, for much longer. Like it’s competitor (Botox), Dysport keeps treated muscles from contracting, thus relaxing and minimizing overlying wrinkles and folds on the skin. Dysport treatments are similar to those for Botox: They typically last no longer than 10 minutes and cause little discomfort. Some clinical studies suggest that Dysport may go to work a bit sooner than Botox and may last a bit longer, though more studies are needed to determine whether this is the case. Purtox® Purtox is the newest competitor and is not yet approved by the FDA. The product is manufacured by the Mentor Corporation and is expected to be approved sometime in 2010. Topical AlternativesProducts that claim to be topical alternatives to Botox and Dysport—in other words, skin creams that claim to also block the release of neurotransmitters and prevent muscles from contracting—have begun to trickle onto the market. So far, none of these products actually contains botulinum toxin. Research is being done into topical products which may incorporate botulinum toxin, or to replicate its effects, though nothing has yet come onto the market. |
|
|
|
|
Find a Botulinum Toxin Specialist
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Learn More... | | |  |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Philadelphia dermatologist and laser surgeon, Dr. Eric Bernstein, discusses Dysport, Botox and Dermal Fillers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 | | Botulinum toxin injections are quick, safe and effective. Still, you need to be sure you're receiving the treatments from a skilled and qualified health professional. Talk to your doctor to learn which treatment may be right for you. | | >>More About the Patient's Guide | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|