I Tried Daxxify, The New Botox Competitor Said to Last Twice As Long

In addition to the longevity factor, there is another potential bonus being reported by some early Daxi adopters: It can kick in much sooner than its competitors — in days instead of weeks. About 12 hours after my treatment, I noticed that I had slightly less mobility and within 24 hours, the effect was significant. My left eyebrow tends to move up my face more when I look surprised, but it was entirely relaxed by the second day. My dose of Daxxify appeared to kick in fully within about three days. Typically, it would take about 10 to 14 days for me to see the full effects of Botox.

“I’ve been very impressed by how quickly Daxi sets in,” says Dr. Marchbein. “Much faster than any other neuromodulator I’ve injected, with almost-complete effect by 48 hours.” Its line-smoothing peers don’t reach their full effect for one to two weeks, she adds. For his part, Dr. Horschander says his office has “found that Daxxify took longer to kick in than Dysport and about the same as Botox,” adding that it’s still too early to tell definitively.

What are the side effects of Daxxify?

The potential side effects of Daxxify are nearly identical to that of Botox — bruising, headaches, and droopy eyelids with one big difference: They could last longer. “That’s why it’s so important to be very selective who your injector is and how much experience they have,” says Dr. Hoschander. “Plus, if you don’t like your results, you could be stuck with them for almost a year, rather than a few months — and there’s no way to make it wear off more quickly.” 

How much does Daxxify cost?

Another downside to the long-lasting results: the price tag. While the price of Daxxify is dependent on everything from geographic location to the injector, most people can expect to pay anywhere from 50 to 100 percent more for a unit of Daxxify than for other neuromodulators like Botox. Although depending upon how long Daxxify lasts for you as compared to other neuromodulators, you could very well net out even — and save yourself the commitment of several appointments per year.

What’s my honest review of Daxxify?

“The jury is still out on how effective and how long Daxxify will actually last,” says Dr. Hoschander. Dr. Love echoes that sentiment and mentions the learning curve that comes with gaining real-world experience with a new product. “Many physicians, including myself, were trained on Botox when learning neuromodulators,” says Dr. Love, who notes that Botox has been FDA-approved and regularly used for two decades. “This means that most physicians are more comfortable with Botox. But, as we’ve seen with Dysport, some providers may completely change to Daxxify while others will just keep it as an additional tool in their toolbox.” Dr. Love concludes: “The most important [test of] Daxxify is still to be determined — and that is real-world experience.”