Botulinum toxins has been widely used for more than 30 years with very few adverse effects when used appropriately and with proper training. Cosmetically, it is mainly used to treat horizontal forehead wrinkles, glabellar lines (number 11’s or vertical wrinkles between the eyebrows), and crow’s feet.
There are different formulations of Botulinum toxin A currently available, Botox® (Allergan, Inc.) is the trade name for onabotulinumtoxinA, Dysport® (Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp.)is the trade name for abobotulinumtoxinA, Xeomin® (Merz Pharmaceuticals), the trade name for incobotulinum-toxinA are the 3 most popular brands used in the cosmetic industry in the US. We only use Botox® and Xeomin® for our patients given the similarity of efficacy between the two agents. The main difference in the formulation of Xeomin® and Botox® is the presence of a protein carrier in Botox®. Xeomin® is free of the complexing proteins and considered a “purer formulation”. It has been suggested that this will lead to a reduced risk of antibody formation or allergic reactions and future sensitization. Everyone’s metabolism and body is different, therefore individual results may vary. Please discuss with your physician/injector if you should have any questions or concerns about which brands to use.