It’s been almost two years since Merz released their Botox competitor, Xeomin in the US. I’ve been using both products (Botox for years and Xeomin since it was released) and I can honestly give my opinion on which I prefer….both of them!
Between the ease of use, patient satisfaction, time of onset and length of effectiveness, I think they’re equivalent. Understandably, the makers of Botox and Xeomin will disagree but when it comes to relaxing the muscles that cause the wrinkles in between the eyebrows, in the forehead and the crow’s feet, I think Botox and Xeomin are interchangeable.
The next closest competitor, Dysport, may also be as effective but I have less experience with Dysport because its dosage is different than Botox and Xeomin. Quite frankly, the Dysport dosing is a bit confusing especially when the dosing with Botox and Xeomin are the same, and very easy to work with (100 units (Botox and Xeomin) vs 300 units (Dysport)).
While some patients may swear by Xeomin or swear by Botox, I don’t see any difference after treating thousands of patients with both. However, if a patient states they feel that one works for them better than the other, I’m happy to accommodate them. Find one that works best for you and stick with it!
The only difference that I have noticed, and this probably matters more to the doctor than the patient, is that Xeomin doesn’t have to be refrigerated before it’s used, whereas Botox must be kept cool at all times. This was a major issue when living in an area prone to hurricanes! When I practiced in Louisiana and a hurricane came through and knocked out the electricity, the unused Botox in the refrigerator could go bad if not moved to a refrigerator with generator power. As long as Xeomin was in it’s original packing and hadn’t been mixed for use, it was safe to remain in the cabinet without refrigeration. Obviously, this isn’t the major humanitarian crisis that we should focus on during a hurricane but it really is the only difference in performance between Botox and Xeomin!
