Dysport

Dysport is a popular non-surgical cosmetic treatment used to effectively remove, and prevent, wrinkles from forming on your face. Similar to BOTOX®, Dysport is a type of botulinum type A used to relax the muscles that cause frown lines and other over active muscles of your face, like forehead lines and crows’ feet.

Dysport is made from a neurotoxin, botulinum toxin, that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum and must be prescribed by a medical doctor. In our clinic, Dr. David Ellis, M.D. and past President of the Canadian Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery oversees all cosmetic injections.

Dysport treatments help fight the effects of aging on your face; targeting and treating facial lines, wrinkles, crows’ feet, forehead lines, and frown lines by paralyzing the underlying muscles. It takes 24-72 hours for botulinum toxin to take effect and you can expect the effects can last 3 to 6 months.

If you are extremely sensitive to pain, we may apply a topical numbing agent 15 – 30 minutes prior to your injections.

An Important Note: Dysport should not be used in pregnant or lactating women, or by people who have had a previous allergic reaction to the drug or any of its ingredients.

History & Medical Information

Dysport is made from a neurotoxin, botulinum toxin, that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum and must be prescribed by a medical doctor. In our clinic, Dr. David Ellis, M.D. and past President of the Canadian Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery oversees all cosmetic injections.

These treatments help fight the effects of aging on your face; targeting and treating facial lines, wrinkles, crows’ feet, forehead lines, and frown lines by paralyzing the underlying muscles.

What is Dysport exactly? More specifically, what is the ingredient in Dysport, botulinum toxin, that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.

Dysport is made from the neurotoxin botulinum toxin, which is derived from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum found in natural settings, such as soil, lakes, and forests and can be found in the intestinal tracts of mammals and fish and in the gills and organs of crabs and other shellfish.

Botulinum toxin, in extremely small concentrations, can be injected into humans to prevent signals from the nerve cells reaching muscles, effectively paralyzing them.

How Does that Happen?

For muscles to contract, nerves release the chemical messenger acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter) at the point where the nerve endings meet muscle cells. Acetylcholine attaches to receptors on the muscle cells and causes the muscle cells to contract.

By injecting botulinum toxin (used in Dysport) we can stop the release of acetylcholine, preventing contraction of the muscle cells and causes a reduction in abnormal muscle contraction, helping the muscles become less stiff.

Although Botulinum toxin is mainly used is cosmetic anti-aging procedures to reduce the appearance of facial wrinkles and fine lines, Dysport can be used to treat a many different medical conditions, including eye squints, migraines, excess sweating, and leaky bladders and is currently approved to treat Blepharospasm (spasm of the eyelids), Idiopathic Rotational Cervical Dystonia (severe neck and shoulder muscle spasms), chronic migraines, severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), Strabismus (crossed eyes), post-stroke upper limb spasticity, detrusor (bladder wall muscle) overactivity – causing urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, Hemifacial Spasm, glabellar lines (frown lines between the eyebrows), canthal lines (crow’s feet).

Botulinum toxin is also used off-label (not approved) for: Achalasia (an issue with the throat that makes swallowing difficult), anal fissure and anismus (dysfunction of the anal sphincter), Sialorrhea (producing too much saliva), allergic rhinitis (hay fever), Sphincter of oddi (hepatopancreatic) dysfunction (causes abdominal pain), Cerebral Palsy, Oromandibular dystonia (forceful contraction of the jaw, face, and/or tongue), Laryngeal dystonia (forceful contraction of the vocal cords).

You will find Botulinum toxin sold commercially under the names: Botox (most commonly known), Vistabel, Botox cosmetic (OnabotulinumtoxinA or botulinum toxin type A), Dysport (AbobotulinumtoxinA or botulinum toxin type A), Bocouture, Xeomin (IncobotulinumtoxinA or botulinum toxin type A), Myobloc (RimabotulinumtoxinB or botulinum toxin type B).

Risks and Side Effects

Like with all medical prescriptions, Dysport does warn against possible side effects. These include possible migraines, nausea, double vision, and general malaise. However, Dysport injections are generally tolerated well and most clients experience few side effects, if any. In rare cases, an individual may have a genetic predisposition that results in a mild, transient unusual response to the drug. Some clients may experience mild pain, local edema (fluid buildup) and/or erythema (reddening of the skin) at the injection site, numbness, headache, malaise – feeling generally unwell, mild nausea, temporary unwanted weakness/paralysis of nearby muscles, temporary upper lid or brow ptosis (drooping), weakness of the lower eyelid or lateral rectus (a muscle controlling eye movement), dysphagia – trouble swallowing, neck weakness, flu-like illness, brachial plexopathy – a condition affecting the nerves either side of the neck and chest, gallbladder dysfunction, diplopia (double vision), bleeding, blurred vision, decreased eyesight, dry mouth, fatigue, hives, rashes, wheezing, and swelling.

It is important to note that approximately 1 percent of people receiving injections of botulinum toxin type A develop antibodies to the toxin that make subsequent treatments ineffective.