Botox vs Dysport: What Actually Differs

The one-minute version

Botox and Dysport relax the same muscles through the same mechanism. Both contain botulinum toxin type A, both take full effect by about two weeks, and both wear off over months. The practical differences sit in three places. The dose units are counted on different scales, so a per-unit price comparison misleads. The first visible change often comes a day or two earlier with Dysport. And Dysport spreads a little wider from each injection point, which helps on broad areas and demands precision near the brow.

At MED YU MED a Botox unit costs 40 AED and a Dysport unit 28 AED. Which product fits your face is decided at a consultation, and the total quote for your zones is the number worth comparing.

Same molecule family, different products

Botox is the brand name of onabotulinumtoxinA, made by Allergan. Dysport is abobotulinumtoxinA, made by Ipsen. Both belong to the botulinum toxin type A class and block the signal between a nerve and a muscle, so the treated muscle contracts less and the skin over it creases less. The clinic performs doctor-led botulinum therapy with both products.

Because the active molecule class is the same, the two products treat the same requests. Forehead lines, frown lines, crow’s feet, jaw tension and excessive sweating respond to either.

Why a Dysport unit is not a Botox unit

Each manufacturer defines its own unit, and the scales do not convert one to one. A zone that takes a given number of Botox units takes a larger number of Dysport units, and the doctor calculates the dose separately for each product. This is why the price list shows Dysport at 28 AED per unit against 40 AED for Botox, and why that gap says little on its own. Compare the full quote for your treatment plan, and ask the doctor to write down both product and total units, so any future clinic can read your history correctly.

Onset and duration

The units are counted on different scales and do not convert one to one, so the written quote for your zones is the number to compare.

The first change usually shows within two to five days for either product, and Dysport is often the earlier of the two. Neither result is judged in that first week. The effect settles gradually, so the clinic assesses the outcome at two weeks and corrects the dose then if a muscle needs more.

Both products hold for around three to four months. The exact span depends on the muscle treated, the dose, and how fast your body clears the toxin. Strong muscles like the masseter shorten it; small doses in fine areas wear off sooner than full-dose treatments.

Spread, and where it matters

At commonly used dilutions Dysport diffuses a little wider from each injection point than Botox. On a broad, flat area like the forehead this can give an even result with fewer punctures. Close to the brow or the eye the same property demands exact placement, because relaxing the wrong fibres there shows on the face. Product choice and injection map are the doctor’s work, and this is the main reason the clinic decides the product after examining you rather than by request alone.

What each costs in Dubai

MED YU MED prices botulinum treatments per unit. Botox costs 40 AED per unit and Dysport 28 AED per unit for wrinkle correction; the toxin Nabota is listed at 35 AED per millilitre. For hyperhidrosis the price list carries fixed packages, 3600 AED for 100 units of Botox and 4200 AED for 300 units of Dysport, and the unit counts differ because the unit scales differ. Every position sits on the price list. The number of units for your zones is set at the consultation, so the meaningful comparison is the written quote, product included.

When to seek help

Contact the clinic if an eyelid or brow feels heavy in the days after treatment; this usually settles as the product wears off, and the doctor documents and manages it. Trouble swallowing, speaking or breathing after a botulinum injection is rare and needs emergency care immediately, at any hour. Our number is +971 52 184 5011, open 10:00 to 22:00; outside those hours go to a hospital emergency department. 998 works across the UAE.