The Future of Wrinkle Relaxing? Long-lasting Anti-Wrinkle Treatment

The history of Botulinum toxin

To consider the future of wrinkle relaxing treatments, it's also a good idea to think about their past. Botulinum toxin is a medicine that has been around for years. Much longer than you probaby think, but it didn't start out as a treatment for lines and wrinkles (you can find out more about the history of Botox here). Nope, that didn't come about properly until the 90s, and, honestly, that was a bit of an accident.

But in the last couple of decades, wrinkle relaxing treatments for frown lines and the likes has blown up to an enormous level of popularity, and has become more affordable and accessible to the average person...not just the rich and famous as it once was.

Another thing worth noting is that Botox is actually just one brand of anti-wrinkle toxin. There are many more, but because of its catchy name, Botox has become the Hoover of the anti-wrinkle world. So, where you read the term Botox, often the author is referring to neurotoxins in general.

Now, there are some new anti-wrinkle brands set to cause a stir, but what does that mean for patients?

Ok, so there are some new wrinkle treatments. What’s the big deal?

One of the main things people want to know when they’re looking for an anti-wrinkle treatment is “how long does (INSERT TOXIN BRAND) last?” Well, typically, wrinkle relaxing treatments last three to four months, though it really depends on the individual. It can metabolise much quicker in some people, whereas in others it’ll take longer.

But two new anti-wrinkle treatments - Alluzience and Daxxify - are believed to work for up to 6 months, rather than the typical 3/4 months. However, that also means that if you're not keen on the outcome, you're stuck with it for a lot longer!

Tell me more about these new toxin brands

The newer toxins are called Alluzience and Daxxify. Here’s a bit about the two…

About Daxxify…

Revance launched a toxin called Daxxify - a brand of neurotoxin that was developed in the US. A recent SAKURA study, which used Revance’s toxin on 2691 participants (male and female) across the US and Canada, over an 84 week period, found Revance to be safe, efficacious and that it lasts. Tested on the glabella area (that’s the frown lines to you and me), the study found…

• Good safety results - there were no serious adverse reactions
• Efficacy proved positive - over 90% of participants seeing minimised frown lines just one week after the treatment
• The average point at which wrinkles returned to their normal state was 28 weeks - which is longer than the 12 weeks expected with standard anti-wrinkle treatments

Daxxify gained FDA-approval in September 2022, but is not yet available in the UK.

About Alluzience…

Alluzience is licensed for distribution and use by Galderma, which is the world’s largest independent dermatology company. And Galderma claims that European brand Alluzience gets to work quicker than other brands and works for longer too. Their research trials reports state that over half of those taking part saw results in just two to three days. Alluzience gained MHRA approval in 2022.

The Battle of the Wrinkle Relaxers?

Of course, anti-wrinkle treatments have been around for two decades, with practitioners refining the placement and dose of the medicines they use. But will these new, longer lasting anti-wrinkle brands start to break the mould where neurotoxins are concerned? Will patients now expect their anti-wrinkle treatment to last longer? And what will this mean for the future of the OG brands like Botox? I spoke to aesthetic experts Dr Ana Mansouri of Kat & Co Aesthetics, and Dr Emmaline Ashley of Ashley Aesthetics, to get their views.

Dr Ana Mansouri, aesthetic pro at Kat & Co Aesthetics, believes this fast acting type of toxin will be popular, and says, “I have already noticed that some patients prefer quicker acting toxins, which I’m sure will be very well received. A longer duration of action would certainly be in high demand, as this is often something that my patients comment on being difficult to keep on top of in terms of time and convenience.”

She continues, “I am interested to see if this may offer an alternative for patients who already struggle with shorter duration of action, which is often down to lifestyle, heavy exercise or high metabolism.

I can imagine patients will be tempted to try the newer alternatives as long as they are provided by their usual practitioner who knows their face, anatomy and usual response, and as long as the product is deemed safe.”

Dr Emmaline Ashley, founder of Ashley Aesthetics is thrilled to welcome the new neurotoxins. She says, "Both of these new products coming out are genuinely exciting because - at least based on preliminary data - they offer something new! This is arguably one of the first big innovations in botulinum toxin since it first started being used in cosmetic treatments nearly thirty years ago.

Although I know everyone has their own brand preferences and experiences, the current studies comparing the most popular toxin brands (Botox, Azzalure, and Bocouture) hasn’t demonstrated that one is innately superior to the other, and there is obviously a lot of marketing that goes into perceived differences.

However, these two new brands are offering two novel features. One is the supposed earlier onset, with patients in studies reporting results after only a day (those of us who are always impatient to see the toxin start working as soon as we get a treatment will be excited about that!) And, also, there is a purported six month duration from a single treatment, which I think could be wildly popular. It will be interesting to see how these new generation toxins are priced and whether having fewer treatments a year will mean that patients save money, or if they will be presented as a more expensive “premium” option. There is also the downside that any potential complication, including unwanted cosmetic outcomes from treatments, will take longer to resolve."

So, what do you think? Will it be a case of better the devil you know? Or will practitioners introduce these newer, longer-lasting products to their clinics?

If you're interested in anti-wrinkle treatment, check out Glowday's search tool for a practitioner near you.