Dysport issues the Dysport Challenge!

Were you around in 1975 when the Pepsi Challenge commercials were running? Everyday folks were blind-folded in the local grocery store and served 2 types of cola. They were amazed that they liked Pepsi better than Coke.

Well, the makers of Dysport, a competitor to Botox, have created their own version of this popular commercial. It’s called the Dysport Challenge. Now, our office doesn’t use Dysport, we love our Botox, so we aren’t in the challenge, but we wanted our readers to know about the lengths that cosmetic companies will go to to get their business!

Since Dysport was approved slightly more than a year ago by the FDA, it’s taken only 10% of Botox’s thunder in terms of marketshare. However, Allergan, the makers of Botox, were spooked enough to push more of their non-cosmetic Botox uses to the public, such as a treatment for migraines and excessive sweating. In fact, those non-cosmetic uses make up more than half of Botox’s annual revenues!

This kind of medical marketing has upset some medical ethicists. I’d be interested in knowing what you think about this kind of promotion? Is this no different than the battle of the colas or does this signal a trend that might invade even our more disease-oriented medications, like perhaps Lipitor vs Zocor?

LED Light And Green Tea Cream Smooth Facial Wrinkles

According to Science Daily, researchers in Germany report a major improvement in a potential treatment for wrinkles that could ultimately be an adjunct to Botox, dermal fillers and cosmetic surgery. The non-invasive wrinkle treatment combines high-intensity light from light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a lotion made of green tea extract. According to researchers Andrei Sommer and Dan Zhu, the combination of green tea extract and LEDs is ten times faster at removing wrinkles than a similar anti-wrinkle treatment using LEDs.

Physicians have used light therapy, also known as photo therapy, for almost 50 years to heal wounds and combat skin aging. However, LED lights, much like those used in computers, have also been shown to reduce skin wrinkles when applied daily. Unfortunately, a byproduct of such extensive exposure to LEDs is the risk of cell damage. As a response, epigallocatechin, a potent antioxidant in green tea, is applied in a cream to counteract the potential for cell damage.

Researchers daily applied a LED light and green tea extract to the facial wrinkles of a human volunteer over a period of one month. The treatment resulted in smoother skin, including "less pronounced wrinkle levels, shorter wrinkle valleys, and juvenile complexion," according to the scientists. Not only could this study form the basis of a new facial rejuvenation protocol, it could lead to better understanding of cellular aging.