GROUPON GUIDE TO COLUMBUS

Looking for a Botox Alternative? Here’s What Actually Works

BY: Colleen Loggins Loster |Mar 29, 2019

Dysport

Similarities to Botox

Paralyzes muscles in the forehead so they can't move
Lasts up to four months
Similar side effects and contraindications

Differences

Not FDA-approved to treat crow's-feet or forehead wrinkles. Some doctors go "off-label" and use Dysport on these areas anyway.
Measured differently. A forehead that needs 50 units of Dysport might only need 25 units of Botox.
Dysport has a tendency to spread, making it easier to tackle larger surfaces areas with less.

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Laser Skin Resurfacing

There are many different types of lasers, but three varieties are particularly effective when it comes to wrinkles: CO2 lasers, Erbium lasers, and fractional lasers. The most effective of these are ablative lasers—wounding lasers that remove thin layers of skin, forcing it to heal itself and kickstarting collagen production.

Results include smoother wrinkles and a more even skin tone, though you will likely experience a few weeks of downtime, after which results will start to appear.

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Microneedling

Like lasers, microneedling devices injure the skin so it’s forced to heal itself and produce more collagen. Microneedling treatments are typically less invasive than laser treatments, however, and you’ll need a series of about 6–10 treatments to see smoother skin.

You may get even better results if you combine microneedling with platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatments, which use the platelets from your body to help encourage skin regeneration. PRP treatments are sometimes referred to by the trademarked name Vampire Facial.

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Retinoids/Retinol

Retinoids—vitamin-A derivatives—are considered to be the gold-standard topical treatment for wrinkles. They smooth wrinkles by increasing collagen and elastin production and thickening the dermal layer.

Prescription-only retinoids (like Retin A and its generic form, tretinoin) contain retinoic acid. Over-the-counter retinoids often contain another vitamin-A derivative called retinol. As our guide to retinoids points out, they’re biochemically the same, but it takes longer to see results with retinol.

Note: Many nonprescription “retinol” products contain pro-retinols, such as retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate, and retinyl linoleate, which are most likely too weak to do anything. So if you go for an over-the-counter retinol, make sure it lists retinol as one of the ingredients.

Vitamin C

Topical vitamin C can also help fight wrinkles, as it has been shown to increase collagen and elastin production. Vitamin C is most likely not as effective at fighting wrinkles as a retinoid, so if you’re only going to choose one, go with the retinoid.

Sunscreen

OK, so sunscreen isn’t a topical Botox alternative that will get rid of wrinkles. But it is a topical treatment that will help prevent wrinkles. Plus, it’s 100% necessary if you decide to do any wrinkle-fighting cosmetic procedures or use wrinkle-fighting topicals, which tend to make the skin more vulnerable to the sun. You wouldn’t want to undo all your work, would you?