Have you heard we blend our Botox®? It’s true, we DO and our patients are loving us for it!
What is Botox®/Neuromodulator?
Botox®, like Kleenex, is the most well known and used brand of medications called neuromodulators. But there are other ‘Botox®’ approved in Canada including Dysport®, Nuceiva™ and Xeomin®. They all share the same active ingredient called botulinum toxin type A and all of the toxins create a similar clinical effect, the temporary weakening muscles.
What is the Dermetics Botox® Blend?
We blend the use of our “Botox®” (neuromodulators) for most of our patients… and our patients are getting optimal results because of it. Remember, Botox® is just a brand within the category of neuromodulators. Other neuromodulator brands approved for cosmetic use in Canada include Dysport®, Xeomin® and Nuceiva™ and each brand has unique properties.
Through years of performing injectables as well as our hands-on experience from clinical trials, our Docs have unlocked the potential of each neuromodulator brand. While the products each achieve similar results, they do this with some slight nuances. Knowing these slight differences in the brands, our customized treatment plans include precise selection of brands for each of our patients - even for each area we are injecting! Remember, at Dermetics, we are all about the details.
How does Botox® help prevent wrinkles and fine lines?
Botox® works by injecting small units of the botulinum toxin type A into the muscle, weakening it for a period of time (approx. 3-6 months). Treated muscles, under the effects of Botox®, will have a reduced strength and ability to cause creases to the skin. This gives the skin time to repair, and lessen the appearance of the fine lines and wrinkles through its natural processes. Those same treated muscles, through absence of use, are much weaker than before treatment. Just like if we were to stop hitting the gym.
Pro Tip: Proper skincare products can considerably help your skin during this time of repair. This is something we recommend to all our patients as part of our 360 degree treatment approach. Check out SkinMedica TNS Advance+ Serum, this growth factor is great for boosting your skins quality.
Why are there differences in the Botox® (neuromodulator) brands?
The proprietary manufacturing process of each of the brands products is what contributes to the slight differences in each. To illustrate this concept we want you to think of Botox® as being an M&M, not just any M&M, a green candy, chocolate coated peanut. One of Dr Muhn's favourite snacks, I might add.
Consider the peanut center to be our active Ingredient, botulinum toxin type A. The chocolate and green candy coating is the Botox® manufacturing process. Dysport® and Nuceiva™ have their own proprietary chocolate and candy coatings. Xeomin® on the other hand has neither a chocolate or candy coating, just a naked peanut. The botulinum toxin type A (aka the peanut) is why in all brands we get the desired clinical effect.
Interesting fact: All the companies source their active ingredient botulinum toxin type A from the same place.
What are the differences in the Botox® (neuromodulator) brands?
When any of these brands are injected they create a similar clinical effect, temporarily weakening the muscles. In our experience, we see slight differences to how these different brands perform clinically.
The way each brand diffuses or spreads from the point of the injection is one of the differences experiments have shown varying results. In this manner there is an impact on how specific or generalized the effect will be.
Why does this matter? This is an important consideration when treating the around the eyebrows. Our eyebrows float on our skin in a tug of war between the muscles that lift them and make forehead lines and the muscles that pull them down and make frown lines and lines around the eyes. The muscles that raise our brows are big broad bands of muscles whereas the frown muscles are very thin stripes of muscles that immediately neighbour the forehead muscles. In order for us to be able to beautifully shape the eyebrows with Botox®, we often need to be very precise in those thin muscles but want a more generalized spread and effect in the forehead muscles.
Now another difference between toxins is something that we call potency: it may take slightly different units or volume or product to achieve the same level/duration of effect between the different toxins. We might need 10 units of toxin (A), 108 units of (B) and 11 units of (C) to get the same inhibition of muscle contraction and duration of effect.
Some additional considerations to what Brands of Botox® are selected for a patient's perfect blend?
Having more coating on the peanut can potentially make the medicine more apparent to our immune system, which doesn’t take kindly to invaders. This means that antibodies may form over time with repeated exposure or treatments, leading to resistance down the road to the effectiveness of the medication.
It's still unclear at this time how significant a risk this is. Lately, some of our colleagues in Asia are starting to report. This is likely based on their type of dosing, the amount of dosing they use and the way the treatments are done there compared to what we do here.
Many of the brand manufacturers are working on newer versions of their own toxins that are peanuts only. That is, they are produced and delivered in a liquid state instead of the current powdered form and don’t have their proprietary coatings attached anymore, just simply the toxin.
As we have become aware of the nuances and clinical effect in our hands this has led us to choose different neuromodulators for different muscles in most of our patients. This way we are able to take advantage of more precision where it's needed and more diffusion where it's an advantage based on individual patient goals and anatomy. We also try to limit the amount of targets for the immune system where we can without compromising clinical effect.
Why choose Dermetics for my Injectable treatments?
One of the things that set Dermetics apart from other Medspas is injectables. Drs. Rosen and Muhn, both experts in this discipline, have been performing injectable treatments since 2003. They have perfected and continue to advance their treatments for their patients. Their holistic approach to anti-aging, which includes the use of injectables, is proven and their results speak for themselves.
Passionate about learning, both Doctors are part of a select group of Drs that participate in Clinical research studies, many around injectables. This gives our Drs hands on experience to products that are not yet approved in Canada.
At Dermetics, we always feel that elevated results are all about the details. Let us find the right blend for you. Book your consult today!
