We all want to look as young as we feel. Unfortunately, sun damage, smoking, alcohol consumption, hyperactive muscles, and other factors can cause wrinkles that reveal your true age or make you look older than you are. At Simply.Aesthetics in Manasquan, NJ, we offer several anti-aging treatments, including Dysport and Juvederm, to erase wrinkles and look years younger. Today, we’re talking about the difference between these two treatments.
What Is the Difference Between Dysport and Juvederm?
The difference between Dysport and Juvederm is that the former is a neuromodulator and the latter is a dermal filler. Neuromodulators are anti-aging treatments consisting of abobotulinumtoxinA, a neurotoxic protein that stops some of the electrical impulses your brain sends the nerve endings in your muscles. This prevents muscle hyperactivity so you don’t get wrinkles caused by overactive muscles. However, you can still make normal facial expressions.
There are several types of dermal fillers on the market; Juvederm comprises hyaluronic acid, a chemical compound that is naturally produced in your skin. We offer several types of Juvederm, each designed to solve a different cosmetic concern. However, they all work by telling your skin to produce more collagen at and around the injection sites.
How Quickly Each Treatment Works
Dysport starts working immediately upon injection but you shouldn’t expect to start seeing the results of treatment during the first 48 hours following the injections. According to a multitude of clinical trials, half of the people who received treatment saw results within 72 hours of injection. The other half of the people who received treatment saw the results after 96 hours.
Therefore, you can expect with 50% confidence to see results two to three days after treatment. You can expect with 100% confidence to see the results of treatment four days after your injections. In contrast, Juvederm takes two to three weeks to settle into your skin and ramp up the collagen production process.
How Long the Results of Treatment Last
Another significant difference between these two anti-aging treatments is how long the results of treatment last. The results of neuromodulator injections usually last between three and four months depending on the location of the injections and how deep the wrinkles you treated were. Larger, stronger muscles that you use frequently to make facial expressions, like your forehead, will overcome the relaxing effects of treatment sooner than smaller muscles.
The results of Juvederm treatments can last anywhere from six months to two years. How long the results of treatment last depends on the dose of hyaluronic acid you received, how severe the collagen loss was before treatment, the specific formula used, and how well you take care of the health of your collagen. For example, the results of Juvederm Voluma XC last roughly two years because of the size of the molecules and the cross-linking technology used.
What Are the Similarities Between the Two Treatments?
How To Prepare for Each Treatment
Although there are differences between how Dysport and Juvederm work to eliminate wrinkles, there are also similarities between the two. One of the most notable similarities is how you prepare for each treatment. Regardless of the anti-aging option that will erase your wrinkles most effectively, you should stop taking NSAIDs and other drugs and supplements that have the potential to thin your blood. These include:
- MAOIs
- Fish oil supplements
- Vitamin E supplements
- Multivitamins that contain a high dose of vitamin E
You should also make sure you’re hydrated when you come in for either treatment. Hydration requirements vary but, typically, women need about half of a gallon of water or other hydrating fluids per day. Men usually need around a gallon of hydrating fluids daily. If you find that you have dark urine and don’t drink enough because you don’t feel thirsty, set alarms on your phone to go off and remind you to hydrate throughout the day.
What To Expect During Each Treatment
Regardless of whether you need a neuromodulator or dermal filler to correct your cosmetic concerns, you can expect the same experience during treatment. We’ll start by cleaning the targeted area, removing any cosmetics you came in with and sterilizing it with an alcohol-based sanitizer. Then, we will administer the injections into strategic locations to relax your muscles or stimulate collagen growth to treat your wrinkles.
Furthermore, both treatments are comfortable. Each injectable we offer includes a small amount of lidocaine, a safe, effective numbing agent. This anesthetic works almost immediately and will keep the treatment area numb throughout your treatment. Therefore, you may feel a slight pressure when the first injection is made but you won’t feel anything after that.
How to Care for Your Skin After Each Treatment
Caring for your skin after each treatment is also similar. After a neuromodulator or dermal filler session, you must mitigate your risk of sun damage by wearing a broad-spectrum sunblock. To ensure maximum protection, get a sunblock with the highest sun protection factor you can find and reapply it every four hours or as directed on the bottle. To help you make an accurate risk assessment, be aware that glass does not protect you from the sun’s rays.
If you have a history of sunburn, we strongly encourage you to minimize the time you spend outdoors when the sun’s rays are at their strongest. This occurs between 10 AM and 2 PM and the sun’s rays are still very strong between 2 PM and 4 PM. If you don’t usually get sunburns, you don’t have to worry about when you are in direct sunlight or for how long but you should still wear and reapply sunblock throughout the day.
How To Care for Yourself After Each Treatment
Regardless of the anti-aging treatment that will help you turn back the hands of time on your face, you will need to keep your blood pressure and viscosity within a normal range. To accomplish this, avoid anything that can elevate your blood pressure or thin your blood during the first 72 hours following your treatment.
Am I a Good Candidate for a Neuromodulator?
We can’t say for sure whether you are a good candidate for this anti-aging treatment until you come in for an initial evaluation. Remember, this treatment works by blocking electrical impulses sent to the nerve endings in your muscles from your brain. We need to determine the cause of your lines and wrinkles to determine whether this treatment will be effective for you.
However, as a good general rule of thumb, we will probably deem you a good candidate if you are at least 18 years old and are concerned about the appearance of lines and wrinkles caused by hyperactive muscles. Otherwise, it may be safe, but it won’t be effective. We will also review your medical history thoroughly and discuss all of the drugs and supplements you are currently taking to ensure it will be safe for you.
Who a Neuromodulator Treatment Isn’t Right for
As stated previously, this treatment is not recommended for minors and will not be effective for people with lines and wrinkles caused by collagen loss. Furthermore, this treatment is not recommended for people with certain medical conditions, such as an allergy to the protein in cow’s milk (lactose intolerance), an active skin infection or sunburn at the area of the injection, or a neuromuscular condition like ALS.
Am I a Good Candidate for a Dermal Filler?
You may be a good candidate for Juvederm if you are at least 22 years old and have lines, wrinkles, and folds caused by collagen loss. However, like Dysport, it isn’t appropriate for everyone who is old enough to receive it. You should hold off on getting Juvederm if you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. There are no clinical trials that show the effects of this treatment on pregnant women, nursing women, or breastfeeding infants.
Furthermore, you should not consider Juvederm if you are allergic to lidocaine or not healthy enough to receive lidocaine injections. There is no risk of being allergic to hyaluronic acid because hyaluronic acid is a chemical compound produced naturally within your skin. Note, depending on the cause of your wrinkles, you may be a good candidate for both neuromodulator and dermal filler treatments. We will discuss this with you during your initial evaluation.
Discover How To Smooth Your Wrinkles Today
Dysport is a neuromodulator that stops muscle hyperactivity temporarily to smooth away lines, wrinkles, and folds; Juvederm is a dermal filler that smooths wrinkles by adding hyaluronic acid to areas lacking volume and encouraging volumizing collagen production. However, despite their differences, there are also many similarities, including how to prepare for treatment and how to care for your skin afterward.
To learn more about the differences and similarities between these two treatments, or feel more confident strolling the streets of NYC or nailing the biggest interview of your life, contact us at Simply.Aesthetics in Manasquan, NJ. We are more than happy to answer any questions you have so you can shave years off of your face.
