Let’s talk about that furrow in your brow. You know the one, right? It’s that wrinkle between your eyebrows that’s formed after a lifetime of frowning and deep thinking, and it isn’t very fun to look at. But just because that wrinkle is there, doesn’t mean that wrinkle has to stay. At SouthLake OBGYN in Clermont, FL, we’re proud to offer our patients medspa treatments to erase troublesome signs of aging, such as Dysport.
How Long Do You Need to Wait Between Dysport Treatments?
Most patients have regularly scheduled treatment appointments about once every 4 months. Dysport, like other neuromodulators, has a fairly predictable treatment frequency that makes it easy to schedule appointments ahead of time so you can enjoy seamless results. Waiting for at least 3 to 4 months between treatments will ensure that your results remain consistent over time.
Understanding Treatment Frequency
We get it – when you find a treatment that works for you, you want to know how often you can have this treatment so you can enjoy uninterrupted results for as long as possible. But why this frequency?
The simple answer is that it takes your body roughly 8 to 12 weeks to break down the botulinum toxin in the treatment. By the time you have reached 12 weeks post-treatment, the muscles in your face have regained mobility and wrinkles will begin to appear again.
How Can You Determine the Best Frequency for You?
Although the average patient may require about 4 months between treatments, the frequency of injectable treatments is not always one-size-fits-all. For some, a different frequency might be necessary to achieve optimal results. There are actually a few factors that you and your provider will need to consider when it comes to determining the best treatment frequency for you. These factors include:
Age
Your age plays a huge role in determining your frequency. This is because your age determines the severity of your aesthetic concerns, and also because your age will dictate how quickly your body’s natural metabolic processes will break down the botulinum toxin. Younger patients may find that they can wait longer between treatment appointments, sometimes as long as 5 to 6 months, while older patients might need to have appointments every 3 months instead.
Treatment Area
The exact area of treatment also matters since your treatment area will determine which facial muscles are being immobilized. Facial muscles that are naturally more mobile than other muscles in the face, such as those around the eyebrows, may require more attention to remain relaxed.
In other words, if you have a particularly expressive face, the treatment may wear off more quickly. This is because dynamic wrinkles, which are wrinkles that are formed from repeated facial expressions over time, are centralized on facial muscles. The more the muscles in your face move, the less time your results may last.
Skin Condition
The severity of your treatment area and the condition of your skin will also factor in your treatment frequency. Those who are relaxing mild or moderate wrinkles may have longer-lasting results than those who have more severe or deeper wrinkles.
How Many Units Is Common for Treatment?
There is one other factor that may determine your treatment frequency, and that’s how many units are used in your treatment. The average patient will use anywhere from 50 to 100 units per treatment appointment if they are seeking to treat the whole face. If you only require treatment of one area, such as just the eyebrow area, then you will likely only need about 50 units.
Of course, the number of units required to achieve the desired results will also depend on your exact skin condition and your age. Again, older patients or those who have more severe wrinkles will find that they may require more units for optimal results.
Why Do You Need More Units Than With Botox?
Some patients notice that this particular neuromodulation uses more units than Botox. The simple explanation is that these neuromodulators have two very different formulas. Because Dysport has a thinner formula that settles more smoothly beneath the skin surface, more units are required to achieve the desired results.
However, because the units for this neuromodulator are cheaper than those of Botox, most patients actually end up paying similar costs for treatment regardless of which injectable is used.
How Many Consecutive Treatments Can You Have?
This neuromodulator has been studied in clinical trials to be safe to use for 12 consecutive treatments. As a point of note, however, research also suggests that this treatment is most effective the first 4 times in a row, with all of the following consecutive treatments being slightly less effective as the body builds up a tolerance to the exact formula of the treatment.
Should You Alternate Between Dysport and Another Neuromodulator?
While in theory, you can have up to 12 consecutive treatments safely, many patients opt to take a more conservative approach to ensure that the results for the treatment will last as long as possible without the need to divert to another type of treatment. If your goal is to use injectable treatments to relieve the signs of visible aging, your best strategy is likely alternating between this treatment and Botox.
Alternating between neuromodulators has the advantage of preventing or slowing down your body’s ability to build up a tolerance to the forms of botulinum toxin. By alternating treatments, you can extend your results for a much longer time without the need to try other cosmetic treatments to achieve the same results.
Other Frequently Asked Questions
1. How Does Dysport Work?
This injectable treatment is a neuromodulator that uses botulinum toxin to relax the muscles in the face. When injected into a muscle, botulinum toxin has the ability to interfere with the communication between neurotransmitters and muscle receptors in the brain, which essentially prevents muscles in the face from moving.
As an anti-aging treatment, the importance of preventing muscle movement means two things. The first is that immobile facial muscles will smooth out the lines on your face and give you a more youthful appearance. The second is that immobile facial muscles will not contribute to the worsening of dynamic wrinkles, meaning this treatment is both active and preventative.
2. What Areas Does It Treat?
This treatment is approved by the FDA to treat glabellar lines, which are the vertical lines that form between the eyebrows as a result of furrowing the brows or frowning. This neuromodulator is also cleared for the treatment of forehead lines, which are the horizontal wrinkles that form as a result of rasing the eyebrows.
Recently, this neuromodulator has also been used to treat both crow’s feet and bunny lines. Crow’s feet are lines that form on the outer corners of eyes as a result of squinting, laughing, or smiling. Bunny lines form on the bridge of the nose when the nose is scrunched up. If you are interested in using this neuromodulator to treat either of these novel areas, please be sure to bring the idea up during your consultation appointment.
3. Will You Need a Consultation?
Yes, all first-time patients will need to attend a consultation for this treatment even if you have used other neuromodulators before. We require a consultation so you can fully understand the treatment and the reasonable results you can expect. If this is your first time using a neuromodulator at all, we may require you to complete a simple allergy test to verify that this treatment is safe for you.
4. Should You Prepare for Treatment?
There is very little you need to do to prepare for treatment aside from temporarily discontinuing the use of Retinol products and avoiding the use of blood-thinning medications for at least 3 to 5 days before your treatment.
5. What Can You Expect During Treatment?
Your treatment will take about 30 minutes from start to finish. You have the option of using a topical numbing cream for your comfort during the treatment, especially if you are anxious about needles.
6. What Is Recovery Like?
Recovery from this treatment is relatively quick. You will have directions to not pinch, rub, or scrub the treatment area, and to avoid any excessive heat or sweating for at least 7 to 10 days. Most patients return to all normal daily activities within 24 hours, including work.
7. How Soon Can You See Results?
The results for this treatment will appear gradually over the first 2 to 3 days after your treatment, with the results becoming more visible after 10 to 14 days. Results will be most evident about 2 weeks after your initial treatment appointment. Interestingly, the results of this treatment are visible a bit sooner than Botox.
8. Is This Treatment Safe for Everyone?
Yes, the majority of patients can safely use this treatment without any elevated risk. This treatment can be used for patients with all skin tones, skin types, and severity of skin concerns. Because this is a minimally invasive treatment, there is very little risk associated with the treatment itself, provided you are medically qualified for the treatment.
9. Are There Any Medical Restrictions?
Yes. You should be aware that there are a few medical restrictions that might bar you from using this treatment. For example, patients with a history of allergy to botulinum toxin are not qualified for this treatment. Similarly, if you are currently pregnant, nursing, or have been diagnosed with heart disease, HIV/AIDS, or cancer, then you may not qualify for this treatment.
10. Can You Combine This Treatment With Others?
Absolutely! In fact, many patients opt to combine this treatment with other cosmetic treatments to achieve their desired appearance-related results. For example, neuromodulators such as this one are frequently combined with other injectable treatments, such as dermal fillers, to achieve more cohesive anti-aging results.
You may also consider combining this treatment with chemical peels or facials to treat superficial skin concerns, such as dark spots, scarring, and uneven skin tone or texture. Some patients also use laser treatments to enhance the anti-aging results of neuromodulators. If you would like to add other treatments to your treatment plan, please let us know during your consultation.
11. Is There a Best Age for This Treatment?
No, there is not a best age for treatment. In fact, anyone over the age of 21 who would like to smooth the appearance of wrinkles on the upper face is likely qualified for this treatment. The average age of women and men who seek this treatment is between ages 40 and 49, but you can have this treatment at any age if you are medically qualified.
12. Who Are Good Candidates?
Provided you are medically qualified for this treatment, virtually all people are good candidates for this treatment. If you are self-conscious about the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on your upper face, then neuromodulator treatments are likely a good option for treatment.
Refresh Your Appearance With Dysport Today!
It’s time to get rid of that furrow in your brow and remove the signs of stress that are visibly aging you. If you want to refresh your appearance with Dysport, please contact SouthLake OBGYN in Clermont, FL to schedule your consultation appointment today!