Botox is a household name, but it is also a brand. In the clinic, we talk about botulinum toxin type A, then we reach for one of several FDA cleared brands that use the same core molecule but differ in how they are manufactured, formulated, and measured. Those differences aren’t trivia. They affect dosing, spread, onset, longevity, and sometimes cost. If you have been searching “botox near me” or comparing botox before and after photos, a clear map of the current brands helps make sense of what you are seeing.
I spend much of my week doing botox injections for wrinkles, migraine prevention, and medical concerns like excessive sweating. The choices I make between brands are not about loyalty. They come from understanding the muscle pattern, the patient’s aesthetic goals, and how each product behaves. Think of this guide as a practical tour of the market, grounded in lived experience and the data we have.
What all neuromodulators have in common
All four mainstream cosmetic brands in the United States, plus a fifth recently approved option, use botulinum toxin type A to temporarily block the release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction. Less acetylcholine means less muscle contraction. That relaxation softens dynamic lines like forehead lines, frown lines (the “11s”), crow’s feet, and the fine crinkles under and around the eyes. With thoughtful placement, you can also lift the lateral tail of the brow, reduce chin dimpling, soften a gummy smile, taper the jawline via masseter reduction, and smooth vertical bands on the neck.
For the majority of patients, the botox procedure is quick, low discomfort, and has minimal downtime. A few tiny injections, a couple of minutes of pressure with gauze, then normal life. Typical botox recovery includes small bumps at injection sites that flatten within an hour, and sometimes pinpoint bruises that fade over a few days. Results begin to show at 2 to 5 days for some products and continue to evolve for two weeks. Botox longevity for facial lines generally ranges 3 to 4 months, sometimes longer in areas of lighter motion or when patients maintain a steady botox maintenance schedule.
Side effects across brands are similar: transient headache, bruising, eyelid heaviness if product diffuses into the levator, asymmetry if one side takes more than the other, and a tight feeling as the muscles settle. Most corrections are straightforward with a conservative touch up once the results are visible. True adverse events are uncommon when you see a certified injector who understands anatomy, dosing, and dilution.
The main brands on the market
Botox Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA), Dysport (abobotulinumtoxinA), Xeomin (incobotulinumtoxinA), and Jeuveau (prabotulinumtoxinA-xvfs) dominate the United States aesthetic market. Daxxify (daxibotulinumtoxinA-lanm) joined the field with a different stabilizer and a long-duration claim. Outside the U.S., you will also encounter Nabota, RelabotulinumtoxinA, and other regional labels. This article focuses on the brands you are most likely to be offered in a U.S. clinic.
Botox Cosmetic
Botox Cosmetic is the original brand that set expectations for botox results and safety. Each vial contains onabotulinumtoxinA with an accessory protein complex and human albumin as the stabilizer. In the face, this product favors precision when correctly diluted. I reach for it when I want predictable on-label results on the glabella, forehead, and crow’s feet, and for advanced off-label work like a measured botox eyebrow lift or subtle under-eye crinkle softening.
The standard “units” you see in a quote are specific to the brand. affordable botox NY Units are biological activity measurements. A Botox unit is not equivalent to a Dysport or Xeomin unit. Most first time patients choose conservative dosing to keep a natural look, then we adjust at the two-week review.
Onset is typically noticeable by day 3 to 5, with full smoothing at 10 to 14 days. Effects duration tends to sit at 3 to 4 months for expressive areas. Many patients plan a botox top up every 12 to 16 weeks. For masseter reduction, I schedule botox every 4 to 6 months once we reach the shape you want. As for botox cost, pricing varies widely by region and injector expertise. Some clinics quote per unit, others per area. Per unit pricing for Botox Cosmetic often ranges from 12 to 20 dollars. More important than price per unit is the injector’s plan: how many units, which injection sites, and the result you are trying to achieve.
Dysport
Dysport spreads a bit more by design. It uses abobotulinumtoxinA with different complexing proteins and formulation, which influences how it diffuses in tissue. When I want a softer, more blended effect across a broad forehead or strong glabella complex, Dysport can be a strategic choice. Several head-to-head studies show a slightly faster onset for Dysport, sometimes as early as 24 to 48 hours, with results building through day 7. In practice, highly expressive patients appreciate that quick start.
The key clinical caveat is unit conversion. A common working ratio is roughly 2.5 to 3 Dysport units for every 1 Botox unit, though real-world practice adjusts that based on anatomy and product behavior. If you see a quote with a higher unit count for Dysport, it is not necessarily more dosing. It is a different yardstick.
Longevity often mirrors Botox Cosmetic at the 3 to 4 month mark. In larger muscles like the masseter or temporalis, Dysport can feel slightly faster to kick in, and the broader spread can be useful for patients prone to “chipmunk bites” or banding when injections are too focal.
Xeomin
Xeomin is a “naked” neurotoxin: incobotulinumtoxinA without accessory complexing proteins. That clean formulation is part of its brand identity. In the clinic, it behaves much like Botox Cosmetic for wrinkle reduction. Dosing is often 1:1 with Botox units for most areas. Onset is in the usual 3 to 5 day window, and longevity runs about 3 to 4 months.
I consider Xeomin when a patient has had a history of diminishing response over time with another brand, or when they prefer a formulation without complexing proteins for theoretical immunogenicity reasons. While clinically meaningful antibody formation remains rare across brands, patients who receive frequent high doses for medical issues like cervical dystonia or limb spasticity sometimes prefer Xeomin when rotating products for resilience. Aesthetically, Xeomin delivers clean, natural results in experienced hands.
Jeuveau
Jeuveau arrived with a cosmetic focus and competitive pricing. It is prabotulinumtoxinA-xvfs, produced with a modern process that some injectors feel gives it a crisp onset and reliable smoothing. Dosing often mirrors Botox Cosmetic at 1:1 units for standard areas. Onset is typically in the 2 to 4 day range for the first visible change.
Clinically, I find Jeuveau reliable for glabella, forehead, and crow’s feet, and it performs well in a botox lip flip when the goal is a subtle eversion without compromising articulation. Patients who track spreadsheets of their botox timeline like its consistency. Jeuveau often prices slightly lower than Botox Cosmetic in markets where clinics pass savings on to patients. That said, price should not drive the decision more than technique and fit.
Daxxify
Daxxify is the new entry with the bold promise: longer duration. It uses daxibotulinumtoxinA with a proprietary peptide stabilizer instead of human albumin. In clinical trials, many patients experienced effects lasting 5 to 6 months, and some stretched to 6 to 9 months. In real life, I have seen a meaningful extension in appropriate candidates. The trade-off is that the dose and per-visit price are higher, and you need to be comfortable committing to the result longer. If you like frequent minor adjustments or your facial expression changes with seasons or events, a half-year lock might not suit you. For those who want fewer appointments and steady smoothing, Daxxify is a strong option.
Onset is within the familiar few-day window, and migration behaves predictably when injection technique is careful. I use Daxxify with extra caution in areas where overshoot is bothersome, like the frontalis, because you live with the result longer. For heavy brows or variable frontalis patterns, I may still steer toward shorter acting brands for the first few rounds.
Do the brands look different on the face?
The honest answer is subtlety rules. Brand identity matters less than injector skill, dosing, and muscle pattern. The same patient can look overdone with one brand and natural with another if the injection sites are poorly chosen. Conversely, you can get a fresh, smooth result with any of the brands if your injector respects anatomy and your aesthetic goals.
Where I do notice differences: Dysport’s spread lends itself to broad canvas areas if you want softer blending, and some patients report a “faster snap” in the first few days. Jeuveau and Botox Cosmetic have similar polish for fine work around the brow and lateral eye. Xeomin is indistinguishable in effect for most facial lines in my practice, and it slots in smoothly when I want to avoid complexing proteins. Daxxify builds a similar look but holds it longer, which can be a virtue or a constraint.
Matching brand to goal: real-world patterns
For forehead lines in a patient with a tall forehead and a habit of lifting the brows, I like a product that lets me “paint” a gradient. Dysport or a careful Botox Cosmetic plan both work. The key is not the label, but a low-unit grid higher up and a gentle arc laterally to avoid heaviness.
For deep frown lines between the brows, any of the four core brands perform well. If the patient has a deadline, like a wedding in a week, Dysport’s quicker onset sometimes wins. If they are price sensitive and open to Jeuveau, it is an easy swap.
For crow’s feet in someone who smiles with their whole face, a modest dose and strategic placement matter more than product. If the patient tends to eyebrow droop, I lean toward smaller aliquots laterally, regardless of brand.
For a botox lip flip, I prefer a brand with predictable spread and onset. Jeuveau or Botox Cosmetic at low units works well. Overdosing here leads to lip incompetence and speech changes, which no one enjoys.
For masseter reduction in bruxism and face slimming, all four type A products work. Dysport’s broader spread is helpful in thick masseters. Longevity in the masseter can be longer than in the forehead, often 4 to 6 months once the muscle de-bulks. For patients who want fewer visits and stable jawline taper, Daxxify is interesting, but dosing strategy is evolving and must be individualized.
For migraines, hyperhidrosis, or neck bands, the choice blends habit, cost, and how your body responds. Insurance plans for migraine protocols may specify a brand. For underarms, the difference in brand feels less dramatic than the technique and mapping of injection points.
Units, dilution, and why comparison shopping is tricky
Patients understandably try to compare botox cost across clinics by unit price. Without context, unit price misleads. Each brand’s unit is its own scale, and each clinic chooses a dilution that suits their technique. A “10 unit” forehead in one clinic might be 15 to 20 units in another because of how they spread the dose and the patient’s muscle strength.
During a botox consultation, ask how many units are planned, which areas, and what the injector will do if you are too frozen or not smooth enough at two weeks. A thoughtful plan leaves room New York botox for a botox touch up, especially for first timers. If you need baby botox or mini botox to test the waters, say so. You can always add, but you cannot subtract. For preventative botox in your late twenties or early thirties, microdosing predictable areas like the glabella can delay etching without flattening your expression.
Onset, peak, and how to read the timeline
Here is the typical botox results timeline most patients experience, regardless of brand, with modest product-to-product variation:
- Day 0 to 1: Injection day. Mild swelling at injection sites, possible faint redness. Avoid rubbing, heavy workouts, and pressure on the area for the rest of the day. Day 2 to 4: Early softening, especially with Dysport and Jeuveau. Some feel a “lighter” brow or a calmer frown reflex. Day 7 to 10: Peak smoothing for most. Asymmetries become apparent if they will be. Schedule your check-in now. Day 14: Final adjustment window for a touch up. Small aliquots can lift a tail, soften a crinkle, or correct a stronger side. Weeks 8 to 12: Gradual return of motion. Lines are still softer because the skin rested. Plan your maintenance.
That list stands in for the visual reminder many patients request. If you prefer prose: expect to look a bit fresher by the weekend after your visit. Give it two weeks to judge fairness. Plan your photos or events accordingly.
Safety, side effects, and avoiding the “overdone” look
Most concerns about botox gone wrong come down to placement and dose. A droopy eyelid after glabella treatment usually reflects diffusion into the levator muscle. Overly heavy forehead dosing creates flat brows and hooding. The antidote is technique: place product at the right depth, respect the safe zones, and keep doses balanced with the patient’s brow position and skin heaviness. If you have heavier lids to begin with, a strong frontalis freeze will make it worse. We aim for support, not suppression.
Common, mild side effects include:
- Tiny bruises at injection sites, which you can conceal. Headache for a day or two, often relieved with hydration and acetaminophen. A tight or numb feeling as the muscles relax, typically fading as you get used to it.
Less common effects include smile asymmetry after a lip flip, dribbling when drinking from narrow straws, or a slightly stiff smile after treating the DAO muscles near the mouth. These typically resolve as the product wears off. Rare events, like allergic reactions or significant droop, require evaluation. If something feels off, call your injector. A quick assessment prevents two weeks of worry.
As for botox for beginners, expect a quick visit, minimal pain level, and simple aftercare. Skip intense workouts and facials the same day, avoid rubbing or face-down massage for at least 24 hours, and hold off on alcohol and blood thinning supplements around the procedure to reduce bruising risk. Retinol can stay in your skincare routine, but wait a night if your skin feels tender. Pairing botox and skincare amplifies results: sunscreen, retinoids, and a steady moisturizer make the smooth period last longer.
Brand myths and the facts that matter
There is a persistent myth that one brand is “stronger.” In practice, strength is a question of dose, dilution, and injector. You can feel more frozen with Jeuveau one visit and more mobile with Botox Cosmetic the next if the plan differed or your injector chased a different aesthetic.
Another myth says you must never switch brands. Rotating products is common. Some patients do better with one brand’s spread or onset profile. Others rotate if they feel results plateau. Immunogenicity, the idea of forming neutralizing antibodies that blunt results, is rare in cosmetic dosing. Still, patients who receive high-dose medical treatments sometimes benefit from a “naked” toxin like Xeomin or a switch in brand. If your botox results fade faster than expected, discuss dose, technique, muscle strength, and lifestyle factors like vigorous exercise, not just the label.
Finally, botox vs fillers: they are different tools. Botox relaxes muscles to soften dynamic wrinkles. Dermal fillers restore volume, shape, and structure. Many of the best before and after transformations combine both, with neuromodulators for the upper face and fillers in the midface or perioral area. A botox and dermal fillers plan needs a cohesive vision so one treatment does not fight the other.
Special cases: under eyes, jowls, neck, and men
Under-eye lines are delicate territory. Skin is thin and muscles are complex. Microdoses can help with fine lines, but puffiness, crepiness, or true volume loss require different treatments. If your primary concern is under-eye hollowing, botox for under eyes is not the right solution. Think skincare, energy devices, or carefully placed filler. For lower face issues like jowls, botox plays a supporting role by relaxing the depressor anguli oris or the platysma bands to soften downward pull. Skin laxity and fat pads remain the main drivers, and those need another approach.
A botox neck lift can soften vertical bands and refine jawline borders by relaxing the platysma. It does not replace a surgical lift, but it can tidy the silhouette. For chin dimpling, a few units smooth the orange peel effect quickly.
Men often need higher doses because of larger, denser muscles. The technique respects male brow shape and the goal of keeping a masculine, mobile expression. A “Brotox” session for the glabella may run 20 to 30 Botox units equivalent, sometimes more, with a clear plan for maintaining natural movement.
Maintenance, schedule, and cost planning
You can run botox every 3 months or stretch to 4 to 6 months depending on your goals and brand. Consistency smooths the year without big swings. Many patients aim for three to four visits annually for the face with standard products. With Daxxify, two to three visits can cover the year. Schedule your botox consultation a couple of weeks before major events so you have time for a tweak if needed.
Budgeting helps. Think in terms of annual maintenance rather than a single visit: what does it cost to keep your forehead, glabella, and crow’s feet at your preferred level all year? Then choose a brand and cadence that aligns with both your aesthetic and your wallet. A reliable, experienced injector may not be the cheapest per unit. They are often the best value per result.
Choosing a clinic and asking the right questions
Credentials and experience matter more than brand inventory. A good botox clinic stocks multiple brands and explains why they are recommending one for you. During your visit, ask about training, number of treatments performed, and how they handle corrections. Bring a sense of your botox aesthetic goals: do you want a natural look with some movement, or a polished, camera ready finish? Show photos of how your brow sits at rest and how it moves when you talk. If you have prior botox experience, share what worked and what did not.
A short set of questions simplifies the process:
- Which brand are you recommending for me, and why that one over the others? How many units are you planning for each area, and what is the expected duration? When should I check in for adjustments, and is there a fee for a small touch up? What side effects should I watch for, and how do I reach you if something feels off?
Most outcomes are better when patients and injectors align on a clear plan. If a clinic pushes a single brand without discussion, or quotes a flat “full face” price without a map of injection sites, look elsewhere.
Where brand choice is decisive and where it is not
Brand choice becomes decisive when you want a specific performance trait: faster onset for a deadline, wider spread for a broad forehead, or longer hold to reduce visits. It is less decisive when you are doing modest, routine smoothing in the glabella and crow’s feet with a flexible timeline. In that case, pick the injector first and the brand second. If you are sensitive to ingredients, Xeomin’s lack of complexing proteins or Daxxify’s non human stabilizer can tip the scales.
The role of aftercare and skincare in your results
Aftercare is simple and matters more than people think. Keep your head upright for several hours after treatment, avoid rubbing the treated areas, and skip saunas and high intensity workouts until the next day. Keep salt and alcohol moderate to reduce swelling and bruising risk. For botox and retinol users, resume your skincare routine the next day if your skin allows. Consistent sunscreen and a retinoid improve skin texture so the softened lines fade more as the muscle rests. A gentle exfoliant and peptide rich moisturizer support the glow many call their “botox rejuvenation.”
If you chase skin tightening with neuromodulators alone, you will be disappointed. Botox benefits come from muscle relaxation. For laxity, consider devices or collagen stimulating procedures. Combining treatments requires coordination, but the lift you see in botox reviews that looks “too good to be true” often reflects a combined plan.
A brief note on non surgical corrections and when to pause
If something feels off after your botox injections, call, do not crowdsource solutions. Small asymmetries can be corrected with a few units. Heavy brows can be lightened by relaxing opposing pull. An unwanted smile change in a lip flip usually softens before you finish worrying about it. In rare cases of diffusion related lid droop, an apraclonidine drop from your provider can elevate the lid a millimeter or two until the effect fades.
Pause treatment if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, if you have an active skin infection at the planned injection sites, or if you are recovering from a recent facial procedure that makes swelling or diffusion unpredictable. Share any neuromuscular disorders or medications that affect neuromuscular transmission at your consult. That information guides product choice and dosing.
The market today, distilled
We have arrived at a mature moment in botulinum toxin aesthetics. Multiple brands deliver reliable smoothing when used well. Botox Cosmetic remains the benchmark. Dysport offers broad, fast acting coverage and blends beautifully on large canvas areas. Xeomin provides a clean formulation with results that match the leaders. Jeuveau is a dependable, often cost effective option for cosmetic use. Daxxify changes the calendar with longer hold for those who want fewer visits.
For patients, this variety is good news. You do not need to memorize every difference. You need a skilled injector who listens, matches the brand to your anatomy and goals, and adjusts with you over time. The best botox experience feels tailored: units set to your muscle strength, injection sites mapped to how you animate, and a maintenance schedule that suits your life.
If you are planning your first time, start modestly. Ask for photos, set your aesthetic targets, and schedule a two-week review for fine tuning. If you are a veteran looking to tweak longevity or onset, consider a brand switch with clear expectations. Either way, the right combination of product, plan, and practitioner delivers not a frozen mask but a more rested version of you, one that still smiles, frowns, and lives in your face, just with fewer lines writing the story.