There are 3 commonly used brands in anti-wrinkle injections;
Botox (the original and brand leader)
Bocouture
Azzalure
I use Botox and Bocouture in clinic so I thought you may like some more information on them.
Botox®The most famous brand, mass-produced first in the 1990’s for treatment of facial aesthetic concerns. Widely used across medical specialties of treatment of ocular, muscular and neurological conditions. The product contains a 900kD complex, composed of the 150kD neurotoxin plus complexing proteins. Similar complexing proteins are found in nature around the natural toxin. Botox has the most clostridial protein of the 3 products described here (5ng per 100-unit vial) [1]. The product contains Human Albumin and Sodium Chloride excipients for the long-term stabilisation of the active ingredient.
Bocouture®The product contains the 150kD neurotoxin not complexed by other proteins, with only approximately 0.6ng of clostridial protein per 100-unit vial [2]. The product contains Human Albumin and Sucrose excipients.
I stick to these 2 products as they have excellent results and in preparation they have identical dilutions and dosages thus increasing safety of administration. Accompanying proteins may stimulate an immune response against the agent, though can offer protective and mechanistic properties to the agents.
What does this mean?
Botox has more proteins; it is more like the natural product but may stimulate a greater immune response compared to the other products.
Azzalure and Bocouture have fewer proteins, with Bocouture containing the least. This makes the product more “pure” but it may not contain all the properties conferred by Botox.
Often it is down to the results you get as to which brand works best for you. Everyone is an individual and can react differently to each brand, with regards to the clinical effect and longevity of results following treatment. The differences in prices between the brands are reflected by these chemical differences and also by the brand name.
So there are the differences, what about the similarities?
There have been numerous studies performed to assess the differences between the different preparations and there is the wealth of anecdotal evidence collected as expert opinion from doctors who have performed thousands of treatments. The duration of effect has been studied; the side effect profile, the spread, the diffusion, patient and practitioner satisfaction. So far, no significant reproducible difference in the clinical effect between all three preparations has been identified.
BOTOX has added Human Albumin and Sodium Chloride, Bocouture contains Human Albumin and Sucrose, whilst Azzalure contains Human Albumin and Lactose Monohydrate (I also avoid this as not suitable for those with dairy intolerance)
None of the excipients have any medical or biological activity.
So, in summary….
For the patient, there is no significant clinical difference between the formulations, they are all good and often it is down to which brand works best for you as the client.
Every person is an individual so can have subtle differences with brands as to effect and longevity of results. Offering a choice means if you, as the client has had excellent results with a particular brand elsewhere then they you can request this.
Hope to see you soon at Fresh-faced Medical - you know you deserve to treat yourself to a refreshed you!