Is Natural Botox Better?

Botox or botulinum toxin type A has been around for decades smoothing out wrinkles. Botox has been a household name since it was approved by the FDA, but there are other botulinum toxin type A products on the market. How do you choose which one is right for you?

Ok, so there's botox, dysport, xeomin, and jeuveau. They all contain the same active ingredient, botulinum toxin type A.

How does botulinum toxin type A work?

Botulinum toxin type A is a bacterial endotoxin that causes muscles to become paralyzed. An endotoxin is a toxin present inside a bacterial cell and is released when the cell breaks down. In aesthetics, this endotoxin is used primarily in the forehead, frown lines and around the eyes to help improve the appearance of dynamic wrinkles (wrinkles that are present only when the face is moving) and soften static wrinkles (wrinkles that are present when the face is not moving). When we start using botulinum toxin before static wrinkles develop we can prevent them from occurring.

Botox, dysport, jeuveau and xeomin all smooth out fine lines and wrinkles for younger looking skin for about 3-4 months, on average, until it wears off.

What's the difference?

For most people, there is no difference between the different botulinum toxin type A products. They all work equally effective and for the same amount of time.

The difference comes in the manufacturers of the products which changes the formulations, cost, and spread of the product. Some feature pure botulinum toxin type A and some have some other proteins in the mix.

The possible side effects for all the toxins are headache, nausea, temporary facial droop, redness and bruising at the site of injection. They all last about 3-4 months until the potency wears off. In rare cases, the toxin may spread leading to trouble breathing, swallowing, and muscle weakness and slurred speech.