Should your med spa site explain Botox vs Dysport so AI assistants cite you?

The client who asks for Dysport because it is cheaper per unit

A client sits in the consultation chair and asks for Dysport, because she read that it costs less per unit than Botox. The price per unit is lower, and the number of units is higher, and the two facts cancel each other out in a way the client has not done the math on. Twenty units of Botox against fifty units of Dysport, at the same five spots between the brows, and the total cost lands in the same range. The per-unit price is the wrong number to compare, and the units do not convert.

Both products are botulinum toxin type A, and both work by blocking the signal between a nerve and a muscle, which relaxes the muscle and softens the line above it. The difference is the formulation: Botox Cosmetic, or onabotulinumtoxinA, was approved for cosmetic use in 2002. Dysport, or abobotulinumtoxinA, was approved in 2009 for glabellar lines only, in adults under 65. The approval history matters, because it decides what each product is labeled for and what is off-label.

The units do not convert, and the ratio is not a formula

The labeled glabellar dose is 20 units of Botox and 50 units of Dysport, at the same five injection spots. The practical ratio that injectors use is about 2.5 to 3 to 1, Dysport to Botox, but both labels state plainly that the units are not interchangeable or convertible. That warning is not legal boilerplate. The units are measured differently, the potency assays are different, and a unit of one is not a unit of the other. A client who asks for a straight conversion is asking for a number that does not exist.

The practical consequence is the price. A Dysport unit costs less, and a Dysport treatment uses more units, so the total cost of a glabellar treatment is roughly the same for both products. A med spa that advertises Dysport as cheaper per unit is telling the truth and misleading the client at the same time, because the per-unit price is not the price of the treatment.

Onset, spread, and the forehead that is too broad for Botox

Dysport starts faster. The median onset is about 2 to 3 days, with some clients noticing a change within 24 hours. Botox starts in about 3 to 5 days, although the label says it may begin in 24 to 48 hours. Both last about 3 to 4 months per the label, and the difference in onset is the main practical difference a client will feel. A client who needs results for an event in three days will notice the gap, and a client who books a month ahead will not.

The second difference is spread. Dysport has a smaller protein complex, about 300 to 500 kilodaltons against Botox at 900 kilodaltons, and it spreads wider from the injection point. That is an advantage on a broad forehead, where one injection can cover more area, and a risk near the eyes, where spread can weaken the muscle that holds the brow up. An injector who knows the products picks Dysport for a wide forehead and Botox for a precise brow, and a client who asks which one is better is asking the wrong question. The right question is which one suits the area.

What each product is approved for, and what is off-label

Botox is approved for glabellar lines, crow's feet, forehead lines, and platysma bands, which is the neck. Dysport is approved for glabellar lines only, in adults under 65, and any use elsewhere is off-label. Off-label is not the same as unsafe: injectors use Dysport in the forehead and crow's feet routinely, and the practice is well established. But the label matters for the consultation, because a client should know which uses are approved and which are the injector's judgment.

The honest answer to the Botox versus Dysport question is that the products are close, the differences are real, and the injector matters more than the brand. A good injector picks the product for the area, doses it correctly, and tells the client the total cost rather than the per-unit price. A client who picks a med spa by the brand name is picking the wrong thing to optimize.

Related reading

If this topic is useful, these earlier guides go deeper on connected questions: Should your med spa site explain HydraFacial so AI assistants cite you?, Should your med spa site explain IPL photofacial so AI assistants cite you?, and Should your med spa site explain double chin treatment so AI assistants cite you?.

Frequently asked questions

Is Dysport cheaper than Botox?

Per unit, yes. Per treatment, usually not. The labeled glabellar dose is 20 units of Botox against 50 units of Dysport, so a Dysport treatment uses more units at a lower price per unit, and the totals land in the same range. Compare the total cost of the treatment, not the price per unit.

How fast does Dysport work compared to Botox?

Dysport starts faster, with a median onset of about 2 to 3 days and some clients noticing a change within 24 hours. Botox starts in about 3 to 5 days, although the label says it may begin in 24 to 48 hours. Both last about 3 to 4 months. A client who needs results in three days will notice the difference.

Can you convert Botox units to Dysport units?

No, not by a formula. Both labels state that the units are not interchangeable or convertible, because they are measured differently. The practical ratio injectors use is about 2.5 to 3 to 1, Dysport to Botox, but that is a clinical rule of thumb, not a conversion, and it should not be used to calculate a dose.

Is Dysport approved for forehead lines and crow's feet?

No, not on the label. Dysport is approved for glabellar lines only, in adults under 65, and use elsewhere is off-label. Botox is approved for glabellar lines, crow's feet, forehead lines, and platysma bands. Off-label use of Dysport is common and well established, but a client should know which uses are approved and which are the injector's judgment.