Health reporter and registered nurse Ali Gorman shows us how it's different.
Phyllis Saraceni has a quick smile and a great sense of humor, and she loves keeping people guessing about her age.
"I have 7 children and five wonderful grandchildren; love being a grandmother, but I don't want to look like one," said Phyllis.
Still she's not one for plastic surgery, but just wants to freshen up a few areas.
"The frown lines, and of course the crow's feet," Phyllis said.
So to lessen those lines, she went to Dr. Tim Greco, who is using a new wrinkle relaxer called Xeomin. It was approved to treat wrinkles this summer.
Just like the well-known drug Botox, Xeomin is made with a diluted form of the botulism toxin.
"It creates a relaxation of the muscles," explains Dr. Greco.
And as the muscles relax, there is less movement and hence fewer wrinkles.
Dr. Greco says like other wrinkle smoothers, Xeomin works best in the upper face. The effects are comparable to Botox and Dysport. But with Xeomin, patients are less likely to develop resistance which sometimes happens with Botox over time.
The cost of Xeomin right now is about $400 per treatment, the same as Botox and disport, but Dr. Greco says the new competition could result in lower prices across the board for all of these products.
"It's not after the second product, it's always after the third product; after the third product gets introduced to the market, that's when they really start seeing the differences in the prices," Dr. Greco said.
Meanwhile, Phyllis will wait about a week to see results, and like the other treatments, it will last about three months, maybe longer.
The most common side effect of Xeomin is a mild, temporary headache if the product is used between the eyebrows.
If you are interested in any of these injectables, it is best to meet with an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon.
To contact Dr. Greco, click here.
