Neuronox: what is it, what is the scope of use of Neuronox, what are the pros and cons of the drug, is it compatible with alcohol?

Neuronox is an affordable drug based on botulinum toxin type A. The drug is classified as a myelorelaxant. Available in powder form for diluting the solution.

The drug is administered intramuscularly. Used to eliminate aesthetic problems and treat hyperhidrosis.

A little about the action of the active substance:

Not detected in the blood at a therapeutic dose.
The clinical effect begins to appear after a few days when using the recommended dose.
The therapeutic effect lasts from three months to six months. The duration of the drug depends on the characteristics of the body.
The restoration of the transmission of nerve impulses occurs gradually.

Indications for therapy:

Patients over 18 years of age with blepharospasm.
Children with cerebral palsy over two years of age who have foot deformities.

Indications in cosmetology:

What it is?

Reference. Neuronox is a muscle relaxant that is produced in South Korea by the pharmaceutical company Medytox Inc. The drug is made on the basis of botulinum toxin type A, which has undergone a deep degree of purification and stabilization with hemagglutinin and proteins.

Each molecule of the neurotoxin complex weighs 900 kDa, which prevents its movement into surrounding tissues. The drug is available in the form of a dry white powder, packaged in glass bottles of 50, 100 and 200 units.

The safety of Neuronox has been proven by numerous clinical trials and experience of practical use exceeding 10 years.
The official distributor of the drug in Russia is New Line Cosmetology (NLC). The drug is used to fill small expression wrinkles in the face, neck and décolleté, as well as to change the contour of the lips. It is worth noting that we are talking about a change in shape, not volume - it causes temporary paralysis of the orbicularis oris muscle, which makes the lips less wrinkled and the line smoother. Neuronox injections also help get rid of excessive sweating in the feet, palms and armpits. Read about other Korean-made botulinum toxin preparations here.

Advantages

The cost is lower than that of analogues, without sacrificing quality.
Safety and low likelihood of side effects.
The effect lasts from 5 to 7 months, depending on the individual characteristics of the body.
Practical and convenient packaging.

Flaws

Prohibited for use under 18 years of age.
Not suitable for people with individual intolerance to the components.

Comparison with other drugs containing botulinum toxin

Characteristics and type of toxin	Botox	Dysport	Xeomin	Lantox	Neuronox	Relatox
Number of units	100 units	500 units	100 units	50 and 100 units	100 units	50 and 100 units
Molecular weight	900 kDa	500 kDa	150 kDa	900 kDa	900 kDa	150 kDa
Albumen	500 mcg	125 mcg	1 mcg	–	500 mcg	–
Excipients	NaCl 900 mcg	Lactose 2.5 mcg	Sucrose 4.7 mcg	Gelatin 5 mcg Dextran 25 mcg Sucrose 25 mcg	NaCl 900 mcg	Gelatin 6 mcg Maltose 12 mcg

Comparative list of botulinum toxin composition:

Activity units - display the dosage of drugs, where one dosage unit is equal to the average lethal dose for medium-sized laboratory mice.
Molecular mass - the smaller the element size, the higher the diffusion of the injected drug, and accordingly, the larger area will be involved by injection.
Important! In the hands of an inexperienced cosmetologist, this can lead to side effects and paralysis of the muscles around the treatment area. However, if the procedure is performed correctly, the effect will come quickly and will be noticeable immediately.
Albumin is a protein component that stabilizes the effect of the substance. The more of it there is in the injection drug, the milder its effect.
Excipients also have a softening and stabilizing effect on the diffusion and dynamics of the drug.

You will find a comparative analysis of drugs such as Botox, Dysport and Xeomin in a separate article.

On the pages of our website you will find a detailed description of such drugs based on botulinum toxin:

Japanese cosmetology novelty - Refinex.
Product from the USA Botox Allergan.

Qualitative comparison of botulinum toxins

Botox / Botox (Allergan, USA)

Botox is the very first drug, rightfully called the “standard of botulinum therapy.” It contains purified botulinum toxin type A in combination with human serum albumin (0.5 mg) and sodium chloride (0.9 mg). Due to the large molecular size of 900 kDa and albumin concentration (average among other drugs), Botox has fairly limited diffusion and allows you to achieve the expected result even at difficult injection points; its effect is always predictable for doctors. This allows you to avoid complications, side effects, and also maintain a natural facial expression. However, the albumin content at this concentration also indicates the strength of the drug: the lower the albumin content, the stronger the effect. From this it follows that Botox has an average strength and provides a mild effect in comparison with other drugs, which we see in practice. Therefore, cosmetologists recommend starting botulinum therapy procedures with this drug.

Botox cost

The cost of Botox varies from 350-400 rubles per unit. As with any other toxins, it is difficult for the patient to determine the number of units by eye, so it is recommended that when determining the cost of the procedure, it is recommended to be guided by generally accepted values for the number of units for different zones.

The number of units required to correct a certain area depends on many factors and is determined during a face-to-face consultation.

Approximate number of units of Botox:

forehead area: 5-10 units.
bridge of the nose: 5-15 units.
eye area: 10-20 units.

The effect of the drug becomes noticeable 4-5 days after the procedure, and the full effect occurs 14 days after administration. The duration of action of botulinum toxin type A in Botox depends on the individual metabolic rate, and is about 4 months.

Side effects and complications of Botox

Side effects are extremely rare, but, nevertheless, there is a risk of them occurring:

Local effects, relatively harmless complications associated with the body’s reaction to the drug: subcutaneous hemorrhages, allergic reactions, swelling, redness and itching at the injection sites, a feeling of “tightness”. They go away on their own within a few hours or days.
General effects on the body: general allergic reactions, skin paresthesia (disorders of tactile and temperature sensitivity, pain on palpation), gastrointestinal disorders, headache, general muscle weakness.
If the dosage is repeatedly exceeded, difficulty breathing and swallowing may occur. With the exception of an allergic reaction, all these consequences are the result of the toxin entering the bloodstream, and therefore indicates the illiteracy of the specialist who performed the procedure.
Aesthetic consequences, as a rule, are the result of the work of an inexperienced specialist. This group includes: ptosis, diplopia, mask-like face, facial asymmetry. Such effects are possible if the toxin is introduced into the wrong area or the dose of the drug is incorrectly selected.

Dysport (Ipsen, France)

Dysport is the main competitor to Botox. It also contains botulinum toxin type A and human serum albumin (125 mcg), and an excipient - lactose monohydrate (2.5 mg). It is characterized by a lower molecular weight and a high ability to diffuse into adjacent tissues. In addition to the diffusion effect, the low concentration of albumin in the composition of the drug significantly increases the “strength” of its action and, in the hands of experienced specialists, allows one to achieve excellent results.

Dysport's units of activity cannot be compared to those of Botox. Approximately 1 unit of Botox is equal to 2.5-3 units of Dysport. Thus, both the dose calculation and the methods of administration of these drugs will differ. This makes it difficult to switch from one drug to another and predict the effect even with an equivalent calculation.

Cost of Dysport

The cost of one unit of Dysport is about 120-150 rubles. However, due to the need to administer more units, the cost of the two drugs Botox and Dysport is relatively the same.

Approximate number of units of Dysport

forehead area: 20-40 units.
bridge of the nose: 20-55 units.
eye area: 35-75 units.

The effect of the drug becomes noticeable somewhat earlier than Botox, and occurs 2-3 days after the procedure. However, the delayed, full effect occurs within the same time frame: up to 14 days from the moment of administration.

The duration of the retained result in practice is longer than that of Botox and is, on average, about 5 months.

Side effects and complications of Dysport

The simultaneous advantage and disadvantage of the drug is its ability to diffuse into neighboring tissues. As a result, the likelihood of undesirable effects increases, for example: drooping of the upper eyelid, raising of the eyebrows, etc. However, a competent specialist, a qualified cosmetologist is able to turn this disadvantage into an advantage of the drug and make the effect of the correction softer and more natural.

Other side effects and complications occur extremely rarely and are comparable to the effects of Botox.

Xeomin / Xeomin (Merz Aesthetics, Germany)

Xeomin is a relatively new drug with botulinum toxin type A. The drug, in addition to botulinum toxin type A, contains 1 mg of albumin and 4.7 mg of sucrose.

The low molecular weight of 150 kDa is compensated by the high albumin content of 1 mg. Therefore, in terms of behavior in tissues, Xeomin is closer to Botox than to Dysport. It has a mild effect and an average degree of diffusion into tissue. The drug is quite easy to work with even for a novice doctor. Xeomin does not require special storage conditions (unlike other drugs) and retains its properties at room temperature. It is used to correct the upper, middle and lower parts of the face; periorbital region; in the neck area. 1 unit of Xeomin is approximately equal to 1 unit of Botox.

The effect of the drug occurs quite quickly 2-3 days after administration, and the final effect can be seen on 12-14 days.

Disadvantages of Xeomin

The cost and concentration of the drug is similar to that of Botox, but the concentration of albumin is 2 times higher in Xeomin, hence the weaker and less long-lasting effect of the toxin (from 3 to maximum 6 months).

Side effects and complications of Xeomin

Due to the high degree of purification of the drug and its recent debut in the field of cosmetology, there are very few negative reviews about its use. Expected, mild side effects: swelling, burning, bruising at the injection site, headache.

As a rule, due to a violation of the drug administration technique, the following undesirable effects can be encountered: ptosis of the upper eyelid, sagging tissue, facial asymmetry.

Neuronox (Medytox, South Korea)

Neuronox is another analogue of drugs containing botulinum toxin type A (100 units), human serum albumin (500 mcg) and the excipient sodium chloride (900 mcg). As you can see, the composition is identical to that of Botox. The advantage of the drug is its inability to penetrate into adjacent tissues, due to its high molecular weight and average albumin concentration.

Neuronox is widely used to smooth out facial wrinkles and temporarily correct hyperhidrosis. For side effects and complications, see the section on Botox .

Lantox / Lantox (Lanzhou Institute of Biological Products, China)

Another drug containing botulinum toxin type A (50 or 100 units) and several excipients: gelatin 5 mg, dextran 25 mg, sucrose 25 mg. According to the developers, gelatin in the drug makes it possible to impart greater stability to the toxin molecule and prevent its excessive diffusion. The effectiveness of Lantox has been proven both in the correction of wrinkles and in the fight against hyperhidrosis. The effect of the drug begins 24 hours after administration and reaches its maximum result on the 14th day, the effect lasts for 3-6 months.

As stated above, it is impossible to compare the diffusion and behavior in tissues of this drug due to the lack of comparative information on the properties of albumin and gelatin. In practice, the drug showed fairly good results, average diffusion. The effect at an equivalent dose is stronger than Botox and milder than Dysport.

Indications and contraindications

Indications:

Age and expression wrinkles around the eyes.
Mimic longitudinal wrinkles on the forehead.
Interbrow fold.
Crow's feet in the corners of the eyes.
Nasolabial fold.
Drooping eyelids and drooping corners of the eyebrows.
Wrinkles in the décolleté area.
Increased sweating.

Contraindications:

Pregnancy and lactation period.
Individual intolerance or hypersensitivity to the toxin.
A course of treatment with antibiotic drugs.
Age under 18 years.

Treatment of hyperhidrosis

Hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating, is a delicate and very unpleasant problem. Excessive sweat production on the palms, feet and armpits, less often on the back, face and other parts of the body brings discomfort in everyday life. Of course, first you need to find out the real cause of hyperhidrosis before treatment; these could be hormonal disorders, features of the body’s nervous system. Dysport is an effective way to combat hyperhidrosis. The neurotoxin blocks signals to the nerve that stimulate sweating, as a result, the sweat glands practically stop producing secretions. This method of treating hyperhidrosis significantly improves the patient’s quality of life and allows one to get rid of uncertainty and anxiety due to increased sweating.

Are there any contraindications for its administration?

Yes, I have. Among them:

Pregnancy
Lactation and feeding period
Presence of acute infectious diseases
Oncological diseases
Inflammatory processes in the area of influence
Bleeding disorders, taking anticoagulants
Various decompensated states of organs and systems.

Attention: before administering botulinum toxin, a consultation with a specialist is required.

If you are in doubt, be sure to report your ailments - this will allow you to avoid complications and get the most effective result.

How is the procedure performed? Will I experience pain?

First, the specialist asks you about the desired result, examines problem areas, gives recommendations, talks about contraindications, the procedure itself and post-procedure care. The patient is then seated in a chair in a semi-recumbent position. Typically, Dysport injections are virtually painless and feel like a mosquito bite. In case of special sensitivity, a specialist may use a local anesthetic cream.

Cost of the procedure

On a note. Only a cosmetologist who has documents confirming his medical education and certificates of special training in working with botulinum toxins type A can purchase the drug.

On average, the price per bottle varies from 5,000 to 8,000 rubles.

The cost of the procedure depends on the injection area:

Forehead - from 2000 to 8000 rubles.
The space between the eyebrows, the bridge of the nose – from 3500 to 9000 rubles.
Nose, nasolabial folds – from 800 to 1500 rubles.
Lip contour from 800 to 1500 rub.
Elimination of wrinkles on the neck - from 16,000 to 25,000 rubles.
The area around the eyes – from 3000 to 7000 rubles.

Do they have any effect?

Until the 2000s, the actual mechanism of action and effectiveness of nootropics was not particularly studied. Doctors prescribed them, and people drank them. There was a myth circulating among medical students that a month-long course of nootropics before exams improves memorization of the material, and to be sure, you need to inject it into a muscle or vein.

Now the proof of the drug’s effectiveness is not the doctor’s word, but research data. There must be at least three thousand participants, and they must be divided into at least two groups, one of which is a control group with a placebo. At the same time, neither the doctor nor the patient knows what each of the subjects is drinking - medicine or a “dummy”.

Nootropic drugs have been little studied, and studies of their effectiveness are inadequate. Either there are too few people, or the criteria are unclear. For example, they estimate the number of test points only after treatment - they apparently forgot before treatment. The American FDA, in principle, does not consider nootropics to be drugs - in the USA they are sold as dietary supplements.

“Everyone knows that nootropics are drugs without proven effectiveness. But they continue to be used, says Varvara Khaletskaya. — There are statistics, there are international protocols that help the doctor. But at the same time, each doctor’s personal experience remains with a wide range: from “they are useless” to “they are effective in many patients.”

The fact is that there is a rare exception: piracetam improves cognitive function in people with severe dementia, according to an assessment of 19 high-quality studies. But with a traumatic brain injury or mild dementia, piracetam will no longer help. Moreover, it is useless for healthy people who want to follow the path of Eddie Morra from the film “Dark Areas” and become a megabrain. Therefore, if biohacking experiments with Mexidol seem to be effective, it is only due to self-persuasion.

How is the procedure carried out in the salon?

Neuronox injections do not require special pre-procedural preparation from the patient. However, a week before the injections, you need to stop taking antibiotic drugs, as they enhance the effect of the toxin and can provoke the development of side effects.

Immediately before the start of the procedure, the cosmetologist questions the patient about the presence of allergic reactions to the components of the drug and, using a special marker, marks the points for introducing the substance. For injection, a solution with a 0.9% concentration is prepared based on sodium chloride.

The prepared solution can be stored for no more than 4 hours, and immediately after the procedure it must be deactivated with a 1% sodium hydrochloride solution.

Botox injections are a fairly painful procedure. Therefore, the doctor may suggest the use of a special anesthetic gel. In order for the analgesic to take effect, you need to wait 30 to 50 minutes.

I received botulinum toxin injections. What do I need to know about post-procedure care?

Do not touch the injection sites, massage them, apply compresses, etc.
You can’t lie down for several hours, take analgesics and antibiotics, or exercise
It is recommended to avoid drinking alcohol and overheating for a week after the procedure
If you want the effect of botulinum therapy to last as long as possible, for 6 months you will need to minimize everything that stimulates blood circulation in the treated areas: sauna, physiotherapy

Result

The first changes will be noticeable after 3 days. The final result will be visible after 2 weeks. The procedure can be repeated, if necessary, after 10 months.

Side effects

Swelling or hematomas in the injection area. As a rule, they go away on their own after 2-4 days.
Asymmetry of facial features, hypertonicity of the upper eyelid.
Dryness and burning of the eyeball.
Migraines, headaches as a temporary reaction of the body to the drug.

Preparing for botulinum toxin injections

The day before the injection you should not drink alcohol

– it may increase the risk of bruising and hematomas.
It is advisable to stop taking antibiotics and anticoagulants (aspirin, cardiomagnyl and other blood thinning drugs)
. In addition, on the day of the injection,
you should not tilt your head for a long time
. If the head is lowered for a long time, blood circulation in the facial area will increase and the drug may not be distributed correctly. For this reason, it is not recommended, for example, to attend massage sessions, during which you will have to lie face down, iron, vacuum and wash the floor (due to the need to keep your head tilted) and buy shoes (fitting is also usually associated with constant bending ).

Can it be used in combination with other drugs?

Cosmetologists recommend combining Neuronox injections with mesotherapy injections, thread lifting or contouring. The interval between procedures should be at least two weeks. Botox immobilizes the facial muscles, allowing the drugs to be distributed better under the skin. The effects of procedures performed against the background of Botox become more noticeable.

Can it be combined with alcohol?

As mentioned earlier, alcoholic beverages are prohibited for patients during the period of preparation for injections, as well as 4 days after the procedure.

Botulinum toxin is a powerful beauty weapon!

Dysport and Neuronox are botulinum toxin preparations,

Botox analogues
(Botox is not used in the Republic of Belarus, but Dysport and Neuronox are officially allowed in Minsk and the Republic of Belarus)
.

Starting from about 25 years of age, the body of any person begins to age. The skin of the face and neck loses elasticity, wrinkles, creases and folds appear. Expression wrinkles may appear earlier in the most emotional patients, as well as due to a special facial structure or genetics.

But if you have an irresistible desire to look better, if you want to remain attractive longer and achieve confidence in your career and personal life, and massages, masks and other skincare treatments no longer help - botulinum toxin (Dysport, Neuronox) is just for you!