Dysport vs. Botox: What’s the Difference?

Posted on 05 Mar 2020

Updated on July 28, 2026

We’re all more than well acquainted with Botox, but have you heard of Dysport? Both Botox and Dysport are forms of botulinum toxins, which are injected with the goal of relaxing wrinkles and fine lines. In addition, botulinum toxins can also be incredibly effective in treating excessive sweating and muscle spasms present in certain health conditions. The similarities between the treatments can leave people wondering, what’s the difference between Botox vs. Dysport?

When it comes to the treatment of wrinkles and fine lines, both Dysport and Botox offer non-invasive, non-surgical treatments that can relax the skin’s underlying muscles and therefore reduce the appearance of the wrinkles and fine lines.

While neither Dysport nor Botox will be able to truly rid you of all your wrinkles for good, they can both certainly make them less noticeable than they otherwise were. Here’s how these two injectable muscle relaxers compare.

Botox vs. Dysport Quick Comparison

Category	Botox	Dysport
Treatment type	Neuromodulator	Neuromodulator
How it works	Temporarily relaxes targeted facial muscles	Temporarily relaxes targeted facial muscles
Common uses	11 lines, forehead lines, crow’s feet, bunny lines, other advanced areas	11 lines, forehead lines, crow’s feet, other advanced areas
Onset	Often begins within 3–5 days	Often begins within 2–3 days
Full results	Usually evaluated at 2 weeks	Usually evaluated at 2 weeks
Duration	Often 3–4 months	Often 3–4 months
Unit comparison	Units are measured differently	Usually requires more units than Botox
Best choice depends on	Anatomy, goals, dose, treatment area, and injector technique	Anatomy, goals, dose, treatment area, and injector technique

What Does Dysport Treat?

Dysport is used for the treatment of fine lines and wrinkles around the face. Unlike Botox, Dysport has only been approved by the FDA for the treatment of glabellar lines: the lines between the eyebrows that reach upward towards the forehead. However, it can also be used off-label to treat other facial areas like your forehead lines and crow’s feet around the eyes. 

Dysport for 11 lines works best for treating moderate to severe wrinkles; mild glabellar lines won’t respond to the treatment.

What Does BOTOX Treat?

Like Dysport, BOTOX can be used to treat moderate to severe glabellar lines. However, it’s also FDA-approved to treat mild glabellar lines, forehead lines, and crow’s feet too. In addition, BOTOX is sometimes used to treat certain medical conditions, including excessive sweating and muscle spasms.

What Are the Dysport and Botox Procedures Like?

The procedure for Dysport and Botox injections is essentially the same. Both are performed in a specialist’s office and only take a few minutes to complete, depending on the overall number of injections required. Here’s what you can expect in the most common treatment areas:

• Glabellar lines: 5 injection sites required, and approximately 20 units of Botox/50 units of Dysport
• Glabellar and forehead lines: 10 injection sites required, and about 40 units of Botox
• Crow’s feet: 10 injection sites required and around 24 units of Botox
• If combining glabellar lines, forehead lines and crow’s feet, 64 total units of Botox are usually required.

Which Lasts Longer, Botox or Dysport?

More invasive surgical alternatives often require a fair amount of downtime and recovery, but this isn’t the case with Botox or Dysport. Results should start to be visible after only a few days.

The results of Dysport treatment usually start to show in a couple of days and can last for as long as 3 to 4 months before any additional maintenance injections are required. Botox can take as long as a week or more for the results to show, sometimes even as much as a month. Botox injections can last for as long as 6 months, but usually average 3 to 4 months.

Botox vs. Dysport: A Complete Comparison

Here’s how Botox and Dysport stack up against one another:

	Botox	Dysport
Treatment Areas	Forehead, crow’s feet, bunny lines	Forehead, 11 lines, crow’s feet
Cost	$1,068.75 for 75 units**	$356.25 for 75 units**
Onset	~1 week	2-3 days
Duration	3-4 months	3-4 months

**Prices subject to change. While the cost of individual units is less for Dysport, most areas require a greater number of units for successful treatment. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dysport stronger than Botox?

No, Dysport and Botox are equally effective, but it can seem like Dysport is stronger because it the treatment requires more units than Botox. In reality, the two botulinum toxins can give you the same results, just with different dosage requirements. 

Does Dysport or Botox work faster?

For most patients, Dysport starts working a little sooner than Botox. Dysport results start to show within 2-3 days, while Botox takes 3-5 days to show visible results. Full results usually take 2 weeks to appear for both treatments. 

Which lasts longer, Botox or Dysport?

Botox and Dysport last around the same length of time. However, a person’s individual factors can impact how long their results last. Your metabolism, treatment area, and dosage all play a role. For some people, one treatment may last longer, but research hasn’t found any evidence that one consistently outlasts the other. 

Which one looks more natural?

If you’re looking for natural-looking results, both Botox and Dysport can give you what you want. Natural results depend much more on proper dosing and injection technique than on the product itself. This is why it’s important to always work with an experienced injector. 

Is Dysport better for forehead wrinkles?

Dysport is a popular choice for forehead wrinkles because it tends to spread a little more after injection, making it well suited for larger areas like your forehead. But that doesn’t always make it the best option. Botox can work well for smaller areas or if your injector wants more control over where the product works.