You catch your reflection in a car window and notice the two vertical lines between your brows look deeper than they did last fall. A friend swears by Botox, but your eye doctor mentions Xeomin. You may wonder whether the difference is anything more than a brand name.
Xeomin and Botox use the same active ingredient and work the same way, but they are made differently. Xeomin is a purified formula without the extra proteins found in Botox. That difference affects how the product is stored and may matter if you plan to get treatments for years.
Here is where the two overlap, where they differ, and what to ask your provider before your first Xeomin appointment.
What Xeomin and Botox Have in Common
Both products are neuromodulators made from botulinum toxin type A. Botox Cosmetic contains onabotulinumtoxinA, and Xeomin contains incobotulinumtoxinA. Once injected, each one blocks the nerve signals that tell a small muscle to contract. When that muscle relaxes, the skin over it stops creasing as deeply, and the lines it has been forming soften.
Because they work the same way, the treatment feels much the same with either product. It takes only a few minutes, uses a very fine needle, and requires no downtime. You may notice a change within a few days, with the full effect showing at around two weeks. Results from either product typically last three to four months before muscle activity returns.
Both are FDA-approved for the same three upper facial areas. These are frown lines between the eyebrows, horizontal forehead lines, and crow’s feet at the outer corners of the eyes. Around the eyes, Xeomin is one of the most requested cosmetic treatments because so many of these lines form from squinting, smiling, and frowning. Neither product can lift sagging skin or restore lost volume, since both only soften lines created by repeated muscle movement.
How Xeomin Is Different
Since the active ingredient is the same, the differences come down to what else is in the vial and how the product is stored.
A Purified, Three-Ingredient Formula
In nature, botulinum toxin comes packaged with a cluster of extra proteins, sometimes called complexing proteins. Botox keeps these proteins as part of its formula. Xeomin goes through a double-filtration process that removes them, leaving only the active toxin.
According to Merz, the manufacturer, Xeomin contains just three ingredients. These are botulinum toxin type A, human albumin, and sucrose. This is why Xeomin is sometimes called a “naked” neuromodulator.
Lower Potential for Antibody Resistance
The complexing proteins do nothing to smooth wrinkles. In a small number of people, the immune system may eventually recognize these foreign proteins and make antibodies against them. Those antibodies can make a toxin treatment less effective over time.
Merz reports that in the clinical studies for Xeomin’s approval, no patients stopped responding to treatment because of these antibodies. Antibody resistance is uncommon with cosmetic doses of any neuromodulator. Still, if you plan to keep up treatments every few months for many years, a formula with fewer proteins is worth considering.
Storage and Handling
Refrigerate Botox before preparing it for injection. You can store unopened Xeomin vials at room temperature, in a refrigerator, or in a freezer. This gives the clinic more flexibility and lowers the risk of the product losing strength due to improper storage.
Dosing Is Product-Specific
Xeomin and Botox often produce comparable results at similar doses. Even so, the official labeling states that you can’t swap units of one botulinum toxin product for another. Your provider calculates your dose based on the product, the treatment area, and your muscle strength.
Is One Better Than the Other?
For most people, both products deliver natural-looking results on a similar timeline. The better choice depends on your history and your goals.
Xeomin may be a strong fit if:
- You are new to neuromodulators and want to start with a purified formula you can stay with long term.
- You have used another toxin before and feel the results have become shorter or weaker.
- You prefer a product with the fewest possible ingredients.
If you have had Botox in the past, switching to Xeomin is easy. Tell your provider exactly which product you received and when, especially if it was within the last four months.
Most patients return every three to four months at first. With consistent treatment, the targeted muscles tend to become less active, and some people find they can space their Xeomin appointments a little further apart over time.
Why Choose Traverse City Eye for Xeomin?
Neuromodulators began in eye care. Botulinum toxin was first approved in 1989 to treat eyelid spasms and eye muscle misalignment, long before it became a cosmetic treatment. Today, the experienced doctors at Traverse City Eye bring that knowledge to every treatment.
Placement near the eyes takes skill. An injection placed too low near the brow can temporarily weaken the muscle that lifts the eyelid. This is one reason many patients prefer to have neuromodulators placed by eye doctors who know the anatomy around the eyelids in detail.
If your upper lids already droop, mention it during your consultation. Sometimes a drooping lid comes from a weakened eyelid muscle, and a prescription eye drop called Upneeq can lift the lid for several hours at a time. When the problem is extra skin rather than muscle, cosmetic eyelid surgery removes the excess and opens up the eye area.
Curious whether Xeomin is the right choice for your frown lines or crow’s feet? Schedule an appointment at Traverse City Eye in Traverse City, MI, today.
