Before and after pictures of Dysport.

Botox Cosmetic and Botox and Dysport are U.S. FDA approved to treat expression lines/facial wrinkles; both are derived from a botulinum protein type A.

The Botox alternative, Dysport is just now getting more patient feedback. The results seem to be mixed. Some people say it's just as good or better than Botox, while others say it doesn't work at all. Dysport has to be mixed differently than Botox, and a less experienced physician or esthetician may not know the difference and dilute the Dysport to be ineffective. Based on the before and after pictures of Dysport, it seems to do exactly what Botox does, but it's results happen quicker (within a few days). The costs of the two are quite different (1 unit of Botox = 2.5 units of Dysport), however you need more Dysport to get the same results with less Botox. The price wars haven't quite begun, but as the effectiveness of Dysport becomes more known, there will be competitions in price. Many doctors are holding off on administering Dysport until more data and results are known.

More Before and afters of Dysport:

            

Wow! My favorite cosmetic procedure Botox just got even better - no needles. I love getting Botox, nothing works better for smoothing wrinkles, but the needles always get me a little jumpy and I usually bruise. Well, now pharmaceutical companies are developing a topical Botox. They take the injectable Botox and mix it with a protien that allows penetration of Botox into the skin. It's still in clinical trials, but doctors hope to see it in a gel or cream form within the next two years. This topical Botox will also be used for sweating, muscle contractions, and twitching.

Reloxin will be the first cosmetic botulinum toxin injectable to be distributed in the U.S. since Botox. Reloxin is known internationally as Dysport. While Reloxin is just now undergoing FDA approval for distribution in the U.S. and Canada, the wrinkle treatment has been distributed in 21 other countries by its international brand name, Dysport, since 2007.

Reloxin, expected to get FDA approval sometime in 2009, uses the same toxin to treat wrinkles as Botox, but is said to kick in a little faster (Botox takes a week to work its magic). Since Reloxin injections use the botulinum toxin type A, the active ingredient in Botox injections, they are designed and reported to successfully treat the same facial wrinkles, frown lines, crow's feet and forehead creases that Botox does.

Reloxin results are longer-lasting. Due to Reloxin's less-concentrated solution, the Botox competitor will supposedly prompt less antibody production with treatment. A decreased number of antibodies would allow Reloxin's botulinum toxin to remain strong and effective for a longer period of time. Clinical trials suggest injections may be effective for up to five or six months, as opposed to about three months for Botox.

Reloxin is said to be more cost effective (yeah!!), because if you dilute one vial of botox, you get 1 cc, whereas with Reloxin, the dilution makes 2 ccs, so you have twice the amount to use. Not only that, the competition will create a price war that will benefit the consumer.

The only thing that gives me pause is that Reloxin's formula is rumored to result in 'spreading'. Since Reloxin purportedly has lower protein concentrations in its solution than Botox does, the formula is said to spread more easily during treatment. This effect could create positive or negative treatment results depending on the area being treated, and might require more precision on the part of the cosmetic provider.

 

Botox is the one and only proven wrinkle remover. I have been doing it for about a year now and I love it. I have learned a lot, though, from going to different med spas and doctors. Finally, I have found a place that offers Botox at a fair, competitive price, and I have never had a complication. I haven't even had a bruise since going to my current place. Here is what you need to know when shopping for a Botox treatment. A licensed Botox esthetician is just as good as a plastic surgeon when administering Botox. They both have the same training in order to lawfully administer the shots. So in that sense, a med spa is as safe as a doctors office. I avoid any place that sells Botox by the area as opposed as by the unit. This is because most of the time you need varying amounts in different ares of your face. For example, I don't want to be completely movement-less when I smile, so I get a lot less Botox at my crows feet and between my brows than I do in my forehead. To be exact, I get 16 units in my forehead, 8 units between my eyes and 6 units per eye. The results are exactly what I want. I pay $12 per unit and get all three areas done for $436. If I were paying per area, I would pay almost $600. Also, when you pay a flat fee, like a certain price per area, there is the chance that the Botox is watered down. The first place I went for Botox did all three areas of my face for a flat fee. They used three full syringes of what I thought was Botox.The results were OK, but it wasn't until I found my current place that I saw the results of undiluted Botox. Fabulous! Also the entire 36 units of undiluted Botox barely filled a third of one vial. The results last about three months, but I go back a little less than that, just to get the Botox in before the lines come back. The best price I have found for Botox in the Frisco, TX area is $12 a unit. Sometimes certain places run specials, like an in-office Botox party, for $10 or $11 a unit. Those are great, but they are usually on a select date, after business hours. Finding the right place for your initial Botox treatment is important, because you may need to tweak the amounts you get in different areas of your face, and the place you go will have records of how many units you used per area for reference.

Below are places in the Frisco area where you can get Botox. Included are Botox prices.

Serena Med Spa
Preston Center
8455 Kate Street,
Dallas, TX 75225
(Across from Starbucks)
Phone: 972-591-2163
SPECIAL - BOTOX Thursdays & Saturdays
Botox cost: $11.50/unit of Botox (20 units min)
Regular price: $15 per unit of Botox

Sona MedSpa

1125 Legacy Drive Suite # 220
Frisco, TX 75034
(817) 382-4076
Botox cost: $12 per unit of Botox

Skintastic

Presbyterian Plano Center for Diagnostics and Surgery (Adjacent to Presbyterian Plano Hospital)
6020 W. Parker Road, Suite 400
Plano, TX 75093
Phone: 972.620.FACE (3223)
Botox cost: $199 per area

Dr. Roberts Cosmetic Surgery Center

3001 N Dallas Parkway
Suite E
Plano, Texas 75093
Phone: 972-608-0000
Botox cost: $189 per area

I get my Botox at: 

Dermalase
5575 Warren Parkway
Suite 208
Frisco TX 75034
(866) 383-1389
Botox cost: $12 a unit of Botox

Innovations Facial Plastic Surgery

6545 Preston Road, Suite 200
Plano, TX 5024
972-608-0100
Botox cost: $15 per unit of Botox

Renaissance Plastic Surgery

6105 Windcom Ct.
Suite 150
Plano, TX 75093
Phone:(972) 378-3870
Botox cost: $12 per unit of Botox

I have been going to Dermalase for Botox for about a year now, and the experience is always pleasant. The esthetician is very sweet and good at injecting the Botox so that it does not leave bruising. I have had a small bruise on my forehead once, but that is much better than the red dots that Botox injections sometimes leave. I always use the same esthetician, they have at least two, but I like that she knows where and how much Botox to inject in my face. And she's quick - I'm in and out in five minutes. At Dermalase the cost of Botox is $12 per unit, a very good price, and sometimes they run specials on Botox or other procedures like hair removal or Juvaderm facial filler. Their specials are usually up on their website or you can ask about them when you call. For example, right now they have about 7 or 8 different services for $99.

With today's technology, especially lasers, plastic surgery is becoming unnecessary. More people are choosing medi spas and aesthetic centers like Dermalase. From Botox, facial fillers, and the already mentioned lasers, we can keep our appearance fresh and youthful without going under anesthesia. While I haven't had laser treatment done yet, I have seen what they can do - basically eliminate wrinkles, sun and age spots, reduce cellulite and tighten fatty, loose areas. At Dermalase they have the lasers to do these procedures and two technicians certified to use them. I'm not sure the exact price point on their laser procedures, but I assume it is fair based on their cost of Botox.

Dermalase shares an office with a medical doctor, Dr. Kathryn Wood. The offices offer a full suite of aesthetic procedures including Botox Cosmetic, Juvederm, Restylane, The Fraxel Re:Store Laser Treatments, tattoo removal using the MedLite C6, laser hair removal, microdermabrasion, chemical peels, Body contouring, laser vein treatments for spider veins, facial rejuvenation, a variety of facials and physician prescribed skin care products (Obaji, Skinceuticals, RevitaLash...). The office is clean and neat, and the receptionists are nice, but not overly polite. The office itself in in a medical hospital, which is somewhat comforting, although anything freakish happening is slim to none. Overall, I would give Dermalase a 4.75 out of 5 stars for recommendation. In my opinion, this is the best place to go for Botox in Frisco, Texas. This is an honest assessment - I am not affiliated with Dermalase in any way.

Dermalase
5575 Warren Parkway
Suite 208
Frisco TX 75034
(866) 383-1389

Here are some other places in or around Frisco, Texas to get Botox

Botox is the one and only skincare treatment I cannot live without. While creams and serum soften lines and wrinkles, nothing gets rid of them except Botox. I get Botox every 3 months, but I don't get the full doctor recommended dosage, it would look too unnatural. I get about 1/3 of what they suggest, but it's just the right amount. Granted, I am 32 years old, and as I age I may up the dosage, but I have serious sun damage on my forehead and would have quite noticeable wrinkles without my Botox fix. I get the most in my forehead ( about 18 cc's ), then each eye and between my brows equally ( 6 cc's ). A cc is the Botox unit of measurement for doctors. My doctor said that the average area ( eyes, brow or forehead ) is about 30 cc's. If I got that much Botox injected into my face it would look frozen. My amount is just right.

The cost of Botox has gone down due to greater availability. Today, the average cost of Botox is $12 a cc, so it cost me about $456 a session rather than the often quoted and outdated $1,200. Call around to different Cosmetic doctors in your area to ask their price per cc. If it's under $11 it's probably being diluted with water, so beware. I am in Dallas, Texas and every doctor I called (many) is $12 and above.

Here's how Botox works.

infographic by Renee Gordon

"Botulinum Toxin Type A (Botox Cosmetic) is a protein complex produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which contains the same toxin that causes food poisoning. When used in a medical setting as an injectable form of sterile, purified botulinum toxin, small doses block the release of a chemical called acetylcholine by nerve cells that signal muscle contraction. By selectively interfering with the underlying muscles' ability to contract, existing frown lines are smoothed out and, in most cases, are nearly invisible in a week."

The "shots" are hardly shots, the needle just barely breaks the skins surface, and feels like a slight sting. Sometimes the injections leave a little red mark, but usually not if you are being treated by an experienced physician.

Botox is the ultimate wrinkle eraser.