Botulinum Toxin Brands

Most people have heard of the Botox brand and ask for it by name, but there are many other botulinum toxin brands available and used in the UK.

What are the different botulinum toxin brands, and how are they different?

Three most common wrinkle areas for treatment are, ‘crows feet’ around the eyes, ‘frown lines’ and ‘forehead lines’.

All products are have thoroughly researched. However, there are differences between them.

Before even looking at the products, remember that the ‘units’ are not equivalent.

Botulinum toxins are small proteins, their power is not size, but the ability to continuously work on the receptor on muscle membrane.

This means they work in the muscle to ‘freeze’ or minimise movement to slow the formation of the lines.

Different Botulinum Toxin Brands use different methods of measureing. Allergan use a cellular assay to measure Botox units.  Speywood units are gruesomely quantified as the amount of botulinum toxin that kills 50% of a population of mice.

Each company produces different aesthetic and non-aesthetic licensed products, often with the same molecule but in different sized vials.

Azzalure contains 125 speywood units. The Azzalure molecule is abobotulinumtoxinA.

BOCOUTURE and Zeomin, for aesthetic and general medical uses are incobotulinumtoxinA.

The Botox molecule is onabotulinumtoxinA.

Manufacturers and their representatives disagree with many of the differences claimed, and there are studies to support each view.

Clinicians accept these differences, therefore they are chosen on preference by the clinic, rather than any being better than another brand.

Botulinum Toxin Brands Spread:

Azzalure and BOCOUTURE spread more than botox. Therefore, some medical professionals prefer Botox as the brand leader for a more precise treatment.

In my opinion is safer for less experienced aesthetic practitioners.

Azzalure is chosen for treatment of excessive sweating, since greater spread is much better where little accuracy is required.

Speed of onset:

Azzalure can get to work quicker, however, some people disagree, but not usually anyone who uses both products.

Clients will report that they experience a more sudden, earlier onset with Azzalure than with either BOCOUTURE or Botox.

Storage

The Bocouture incobotulinum a molecule remains biologically active even when stored for long periods at room temperature. This largely due to it’s form, and removal of the usual stabilising protein complex.

It can be said, less proteins, slow down resistance, but the protein separates after injection, so antibodies to the BOCOUTURE produce more resistance.

Over all, all the products are safe to use in trained hands. The differences are small and often more of academic or subtle interest rather than a difference in results.

Because I use Restylane and this is a Galderma product I generally use Azzalure for sweating or Botox for wrinkles, unless a patient specificaly asks for another brand.