I got my Dysport injections this past week. It was the first time since March. I was seeing my forehead lines coming back to life for at least a month. And my skin just looked, well, dry. Or tired. Or unsmooth. I couldn’t quite identify what I was seeing that I didn’t like. I had my Dysport injected on a Thursday and by Sunday I could already tell something was different. I will say that I am not a girl who spends a lot of time on her makeup or checking myself out in the mirror. But on Sunday evening I caught myself looking at my image in a side mirror in my bedroom. I thought, Oh I look pretty!
Were my eyebrows lifting a bit? My eyes looked prettier but I wasn’t sure why. Something just looked softer and more youthful (I know that word it so trite, but in this case, accurate). By Tuesday my forehead lines were gone and I had a nice arch in my brows. My skin looked more hydrated and the tired quality I had been seeing had vanished. I even decided to wear lipstick and try to look cute this week!
The unidentifiable quality I was noticing made me remembered a study I had read awhile back about Botox (Botox is made by Allergan, Dysport is made by Galderma) and how it increases the elasticity of skin. So it not only smooths your lines but it actually makes your skin more like it was when you were younger.
The study was done in Canada with about 40-50 women. Specifically, the researchers wanted to find out how Botox affects two features of the skin that weaken as we get older: pliability (stretchiness) and elasticity (the ability to recoil). The pliability and elasticity of each woman's skin was assessed at baseline, two weeks, two months, three months, and four months after they had a Botox injection.
The researchers found that the Botox injections increased both the pliability and elasticity of the skin for up to four months. After four months, the skin returned to baseline levels (which is usually the timeframe for the effects of Botox wearing off).
So what’s the verdict? The researchers concluded that the changes that occurred in the patients' skin who received Botox appear to be the opposite of the changes that are associated with the aging process. The OPPOSITE of the aging process! I’m not gonna lie, that sounds pretty fantastic.
I had acupuncture the same day I had my Dysport and told her I couldn’t have any needles in my face that day. She asked how I liked getting Botox (most people call it Botox no matter whether they are getting that or Dysport, simply because it is the more well known product). I told her honestly that I had never tried it until I worked at a med spa but that I really love it. I like that I am not forming deep static forehead lines because I keep up with my treatments (definitely keeps you looking less haggard), I like that an eyebrow arch can be accomplished with Dysport or Botox, and I love the pliability it lends to the skin. I might like that best of all, actually. And you can request any manner of Botox/Dysport treatment results: some like to be completely “frozen," some like just certain areas to be treated, some like a brow lift and others don’t. For me, I like to still have movement but not look like I’m the mother of a 17 year old!
And just a little tidbit of information for those who would like the results of Botox but don’t like the needles: a topical form of Botox has been in FDA trials for awhile now. A current study is underway as well. For now it’s called RT001. A dermatologist and lead researcher at University of California said: “The benefits of RT001 are clear; patients achieve meaningful aesthetic results with a simple, painless procedure…. The superficial muscles in the crow's feet area can be relatively difficult to inject; this treatment will allow physicians to obtain a more consistent result while maintaining patients' natural expressions”. The topical form would still be prescription only, and would be administered in a doctor's office. Still no word on when something like that may be available. For now the fountain of youth comes from a needle!