With Dysport®, you'll most often see results for 3 to 4 months before motion fully returns. This is similar to results with Botox®. Neither product reliably lasts longer than the other.
Length of results is affected by several factors, most significantly the dose you receive, your individual muscles, and individual patient response.
How Long Dysport® and Botox® Results Last
Dysport® and Botox® have a similar length of results, most often seen for 3 to 4 months. Sometimes results may be seen for a longer duration. There is no way to predict if your results will last longer.
It will take a few days for your results to build and approximately two weeks to see your full results. We concentrate on providing you with personalized care, so after your first treatment, we will ask you to come back in two weeks so we can check your response.
Each product works by stopping the signal to a muscle to contract. This allows the muscle to relax and the lines overlying the muscle to soften.
Over the course of several months, the nerve endings recover and form new connections to the muscle. As this connection is re-established, motion returns to the treated area, like a dimmer switch slowly turning back up.
Does Dysport® Last Longer Than Botox®?
Not reliably. There have been a few studies comparing the two products to each other with varying results.
When one product does show a longer duration, the difference can reflect the amount each study injected and how it measured results. The two products' units are not interchangeable, so a higher number of Dysport® units does not necessarily mean that a higher dose is given.
Certain individuals may find that one product lasts longer than the other. However, the most important factors on how long your results last will be the dose given and your individual response to the product. Dysport® is the product that we most frequently use; however, we will recommend the product that will work best for the areas you are having treated and to achieve the results you are looking for.
How Long Botox® Lasts in the Forehead, Frown Lines and Crow's Feet
The most studied area for both Dysport® and Botox® is between the brows and in this area, both products have been shown to last for about 3 to 4 months. The forehead and crow’s feet have not been studied as extensively, however studies with Botox® have shown similar results of 3 to 4 months in these areas.
No area has been shown to consistently wear off sooner. Often, a lighter dose will be used in the forehead to avoid heaviness of the brows. As your results are affected by the dose you receive, you may see your results wear off a little sooner with a lighter dose.
What Makes Results Fade Sooner or Last Longer
- Dose: In studies, higher doses lasted longer and lighter doses wore off sooner. This is the factor that has the best supporting data. However, using a higher dose can increase the chances of side effects such as drooping of the eyelid. We use the appropriate dose to give you the results you are looking for while minimizing your risk for side effects. Each product has a maximum dose that can be used in a session.
- Size and strength of your muscles: Larger, stronger muscles may require a higher dose to achieve the same result. Men may require a different dose than women for this reason.
- Age: Older patients may not respond as well as younger patients, though that has not been shown to shorten how long results last.
- Very high activity level: There was one small study that suggested highly active individuals may see their results wear off slightly sooner, though the evidence is limited.
It is important that the dose and placement of the product be carefully considered to achieve the best possible results and minimize your risk for side effects.
Does Botox® Last Longer Over Time?
While some individuals find they can go longer between treatments after receiving a few treatments, studies on patients receiving repeat treatments show that the length of results remains steady on average. However, there does appear to be some decrease in activity of a treated muscle after repeated treatments in some people. This is true for both Dysport® and Botox®.
Signs Your Results Are Wearing Off, and How Often to Return
- Movement returns first: Motion to the treated area begins to return (your ability to frown or raise your brows), though some movement while results last is normal.
- Lines show when you make expressions: Lines often return when you make certain facial expressions (when you frown, squint, or raise your brows).
- Lines at rest return later: Resting lines, which treatment may soften without fully clearing, can deepen again.
Most patients elect to have their treatments repeated every 3 to 4 months for maintenance. We will not treat you more often than every 3 months as this is not supported by the label for either product.
Additionally, treating more frequently can increase your risk of developing antibodies to the product. This is rare at cosmetic doses, but it is another reason for the 3-month spacing.
Before You Book
Before each treatment, tell us every medicine and supplement you take and any botulinum toxin treatment of any brand in the last four months. That includes blood thinners, anti-inflammatory pain relievers, fish oil, herbal supplements, muscle relaxants, antibiotics (including recent shots) and allergy, cold or sleep medicines. Never stop a prescribed medicine, including a blood thinner or prescribed aspirin, without your prescriber's go-ahead.
Treatment waits during pregnancy or breastfeeding, because safety then has not been established, and during an infection where you would be treated. It is not given if you are allergic to any botulinum toxin product or its ingredients, or, for Dysport®, to cow's milk protein.
A condition that affects the nerves and muscles (such as myasthenia gravis) raises the risk of serious effects and needs closer review first. So do swallowing or breathing problems, now or in the past.
Small bumps, redness, tenderness, mild swelling or a bruise where the needle went in, and sometimes a mild headache, settle on their own.
Less commonly, treatment of the forehead, frown lines or eye area can cause a drooping eyelid, a heavy or dropped brow, or uneven brows. These fade as the effect wears off, most often over a few weeks, sometimes longer. Dry, irritated or light-sensitive eyes can also follow, and may need eye care before then.
Spread of the effect beyond the treated area is rare at cosmetic doses, as is a serious allergic reaction.
Get emergency medical help right away, and do not drive yourself, if any of these signs appears, even hours or weeks after treatment. Some of these, with or without hives, can mean a serious allergic reaction.
- trouble breathing or shortness of breath
- trouble swallowing
- trouble speaking or saying words clearly
- hoarseness, or a change in or loss of your voice
- weakness all over your body
- double vision
- blurred vision or any other change in your vision
- an eyelid that droops suddenly, even without pain
- a drooping eyelid with newly unequal pupils, sudden headache, neck or eye pain, facial drooping or a spinning feeling
- severe eye pain
- loss of bladder control
- redness spreading quickly from an injection point, or fever or chills with increasing redness, warmth or pus there
- hives, red itchy welts, itching or a rash
- swelling of your lips, tongue or throat, or of your face beyond the treated spots
- wheezing or asthma symptoms
- dizziness or feeling faint
Contact our office promptly, the same day, if any of these appears on its own; alongside any sign above, it is an emergency. If we are closed, go to urgent care. While a drooping eyelid lasts, do not drive or do anything else that needs clear vision.
- a drooping eyelid that comes on gradually, often on one side
- a heavy or dropped brow
- uneven brows, or one brow arching higher than the other
- dry, gritty or irritated eyes, or sensitivity to light, that lasts or gets worse
- eye pain, or an eye that won't fully close
- increasing redness, warmth or pus at an injection point
This article is general education and cannot diagnose you or replace an evaluation.
How We Approach Your Care
When you visit our South Loop practice you will receive physician-directed care. Your provider will work with you to determine the right dose and timing for your needs, based on medical evidence. Our practice is led by board-certified dermatologists and is part of the Northwestern Medicine Physician Network.
Questions Patients Often Ask
Can I Make My Results Last Longer?
Not necessarily. There’s no reliable evidence that certain supplements, sun protection, or lifestyle factors like getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, or managing stress change how long the product lasts. The same is true for aftercare measures.
Some factors like sun protection and not smoking will help your skin look its best, though. What you can influence is your dose and the timing of your visits, which your provider will plan with you.
Will Switching to Dysport® Make My Results Last Longer?
Not necessarily. Neither product has been shown to reliably last longer, though one may work better for you than the other. Even if you switch, the usual spacing between treatments still applies, because using more than one type of botulinum toxin within several months of each other can add to the muscle weakening effect.
Will My Lines Look Worse If I Stop Treatment?
No. As your muscles gradually regain their movement you’ll return to the state you were in before treatment, while your skin continues to age as normal. Treatment does not make your wrinkles worse; it simply brings you back to where you would have been otherwise.
Should I Book My Next Visit Before My Results Fully Wear Off?
Often, yes. The best solution is to simply schedule your next visit when movement is clearly returning, before your wrinkles are fully back. Your provider will work with you to determine the ideal time within the usual spacing.
Talk With Us About Your Next Step
If you need help deciding which product is right for you, or if you want to plan your appointments for the year, contact us to schedule an appointment today.
Individual results and duration of results may vary. Outcomes are not guaranteed.
