Dysport is so similar to Botox® Cosmetic that it is referred to as Botox® Cosmetic's twin or first cousin. This new wrinkle relaxer is approved to treat forehead wrinkles and frown lines in the U.S., and has been used to treat neurological disorders outside the United States for more than 15 years. Dysport is approved to treat wrinkles in 23 countries.

And there is certainly a market for it. People can't get enough of Botox® Cosmetic. In 2008, Botox® Cosmetic was the most popular nonsurgical cosmetic procedure performed in the United States, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). There were approximately 2.5 million Botox® Cosmetic procedures performed in 2008.

How does Dysport work?
Dysport is injected directly into the muscles that cause facial wrinkles, temporarily immobilizing them. It specifically targets the glabullar muscles — the ones that form creases on your forehead when you frown.

Dysport diffuses a bit farther from the injection point than Botox® Cosmetic: one to three centimeters compared to Botox® Cosmetic's one centimeter. This means that fewer injections are needed, but it also means that the health professional doing the injections must be very skilled to ensure that the drug does not spread to nearby muscles and cause eyelid and/or eyebrow drooping or other unwanted side effects.

How Long Do Results Last?
Results begin to appear within one to seven days after treatment, with day three being the median. (In other words, half the patients treated see wrinkle-smoothing results before day three, and half see results afterward.) Dysport contains less protein than Botox® Cosmetic, so the body tends to break it down more slowly. The studies are mixed, however, about whether the results lasts longer than Botox® Cosmetic. A large clinical trial sponsored by Dysport's manufacturer and published in the March/April 2009 issue of Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery reported that effects lasted more than 13 months in some people. Botox® Cosmetic results can last up to four months.

Are There Any Side Effects?
As with Botox® Cosmetic, any side effects that develop tend to be minor. Headache may occur, and if the drug diffuses too widely, eyelids or eyebrows may droop. If you choose Dysport to smooth out your wrinkles, be sure you receive treatments from a well-trained and experienced health professional.

Botox® Cosmetic is heralded as the "new miracle" but, it's not new at all; and Botox® Cosmetic is not botulism bacteria. The bacteria that causes botulism is Clostridum botulinum. Each active bacteria secretes a small amount of botulism toxin. Botox® Cosmetic is a highly refined derivative of this toxin. It was first used around 1946 to treat cross-eyedness. In the 1980's, ophthalmologists realized that when they treated patients with Botox® Cosmetic, their wrinkles disappeared, so they started using Botox® Cosmetic to reduce wrinkles. Because it was already FDA approved, many doctors started to use it immediately. In 2002, Botox® Cosmetic received FDA clearance for cosmetic use and nearly 3 million benefited from Botox® Cosmetic; injections each year since that approval. test

How does Botox® Cosmetic work?
We have to eliminate another common misconception - Botox® Cosmetic does not paralyze your muscles. Muscles move when your nerves tell them to. When Botox® Cosmetic is injected it attaches itself to the nerve endings in the injected muscles and interferes with communication between the nerve and the muscle. It's more difficult for the nerve to tell the muscle to move, so the muscle relaxes. When injected into a muscle that causes a wrinkle, the wrinkle is also relaxed. Results last between 3 to 4 months before touch-ups. Instead of pricing the Botox® Cosmetic by the area treated and making those that need less subsidize those that need more, we only charge for the number of Botox® Cosmetic units we inject. This means that you can feel free to have a small touch-up without having to pay for a full treatment. This also means you can receive touch-ups more frequently to keep the muscles relaxed and improve the long term resiliency of the Botox® Cosmetic. Recent studies show that simultaneous Botox® Cosmetic and IPL treatments result in a higher stimulation of the collagen regrowth than either of these treatments provide alone.

Juvederm® Injectable Gel dermal filler was FDA-approved in June 2006 for the treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds such as nasolabial folds (those lines that extend from your nose to the corners of your mouth).

What is Juvederm Ultra XC Injectable Gel?
Juvederm® Injectable Gel is an injectable filler that includes hyaluronic acid, a natural complex sugar that bolsters skin elasticity, providing a smooth and supple appearance. It is biocompatible, supplementing the body's natural hyaluronic acid, which age has depleted.

Juvederm® Injectable Gel is the umbrella name for this family of products. Juvederm® Ultra Injectable Gel is the "regular" filler while Juvederm Ultra Plus Injectable Gel is used to treat deeper facial folds; the effects of the latter may last longer. Treatment areas include the deep nasogenian grooves (the folds between your cheeks and nose) and nasolabial folds (the so-called "marionette lines" that form between the nose and outer corners of the mouth). Juvederm® Injectable Gel is also useful for enhancing lip volume (often in combination with lip lifts) and for reshaping cheek contours.

A denser product than Juvederm® Ultra Injectable Gel, designed for deeper wrinkles and creases.

Restylane® is made of hyaluronic acid. In the human body, natural hyaluronic acid provides volume and fullness to the skin. The hyaluronic acid in Restylane® has been modified slightly to last longer than the body's hyaluronic acid. The hyaluronic acid in Restylane® is produced by a biotechnical process.

Restylane® is hydrophilic or "water loving." The hydrophilic nature of these hyaluronic acid molecules and their three dimensional structure allows them to bind many times their own weight in water. As hyaluronic acid begins to degrade, each molecule binds to more water which helps to maintain its volume for about six months.

Perlane® is made from non-animal stabilized hyaluronic acid (NASHA) gel. This means that Perlane® contains no animal products. Since hyaluronic acid is a natural substance found in the skin and other tissue, there is no need for a skin test when using Perlane® filler.

The hyaluronic acid in Perlane® supplements the body's natural supply, which becomes depleted with age. Perlane® is biodegradable so its effects are not permanent. The results of a Perlane® filler treatment tend to last six months to a year. This is much longer than the typical results of collagen injections, which may only last three to six months.

Unlike Botox® Cosmetic, Perlane® does not make you numb. Perlane® can be used in conjunction with Botox® Cosmetic, which neutralizes the muscles that create wrinkles, but Perlane® simply reduces the visibility of wrinkles and folds.

Sculptra™ is an enduring treatment approved by the FDA for restoration and/or correction of the signs of facial fat loss, or lipoatrophy, in people with human immunodeficiency virus. It is the first FDA-approved product of its kind for this condition.

Facial fat loss, or lipoatrophy, is the loss of fat beneath the skin, which can result in sunken cheeks, indentations, and hollow eyes. Sculptra™ is a safe, synthetic, and biocompatible material that is injected below the surface of the skin in the area of fat loss. It provides a gradual and significant increase in skin thickness, improving the appearance of folds and sunken areas. No skin testing is required.

Sculptra™ has been safely used outside the United States since 1999 in over 150,000 patients under the trade names New-Fill™ and Sculptra™.

Radiesse® is a safe, next generation dermal filler that does more than just fill in lines and wrinkles – it volumizes. In fact, Radiesse® is setting a new standard in facial fold and wrinkle correction. This treatment restores a natural, youthful look that lasts. In many patients, the results may last for a year or more. Numerous medical studies have shown that Radiesse® is a safe and effective treatment for filling and correcting smile lines, nasolabial folds, and wrinkles around the nose and mouth. Radiesse® stimulates the body to produce new collagen. This unique response provides immediate, visible improvement of folds and wrinkles, and provides long-lasting and beautiful results.

The wrinkle treatment results provided by Radiesse® dermal filler are immediate and long lasting. The effects of Radiesse® may last a year or more in many patients. In addition, Radiesse® treatments may require fewer office visits for retreatments. Since results may vary, be sure to discuss your expectations with your Radiesse physician.