Botox and Dysport

Botox and Dysport in Tampa

Who is actually holding the needle?

With injectables that is the only question that matters, and most pages avoid answering it. Anyone can buy the product. What separates a good result from a frozen forehead or a dropped brow is anatomy, dosing, and placement, and those come from the person injecting, not from the vial.

So we will answer it directly. Our injectables are performed by Loralee Koontz, PA-C of U South Tampa, a certified physician assistant with more than 24 years in advanced cosmetic dermatology. She sees clients here at our Bay to Bay location.

The credential worth pausing on is this one. Loralee served as a national trainer for the Galderma Aesthetic Injector Network, which means she spent years teaching other injectors safe injection technique. She has participated in multi center studies for national cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies and presented at national conferences. Kathy L. Anderson, DO serves as medical director.

Why We Brought Her Here Instead of Doing It Ourselves

Injectables are a medical service and they belong with a medical provider. We were not going to add them to the menu and figure it out, and we were not going to hand you a referral card and call that a partnership.

What you get instead is the combination that is hard to find. The clinical judgment of someone who trained other injectors, in a small spa where one person is with you and nobody is running four rooms at once. No clinic waiting area, no clipboard, no sense of being processed. You book through us, at a place you already know, with the same people you already see.

Pia Esthetics has been on Bay to Bay Boulevard in South Tampa since 2004. Adding injectables the right way took a while, which is rather the point.

What Botox and Dysport Do

Both are botulinum toxin. They block the nerve signal that tells a specific muscle to contract, and when that muscle stops pulling, the line it was creating softens.

That mechanism explains what they can and cannot address. Lines that appear when you make an expression, meaning forehead lines, frown lines between the brows, and crow's feet, respond well. Lines that sit in your skin when your face is completely at rest are a different problem, usually volume or texture, and they call for fillers or resurfacing instead. Loralee will tell you which category yours fall into before you commit to anything.

Botox or Dysport?

This is the most common question and the answer is less dramatic than people expect. Both use the same active mechanism. Dysport tends to spread a little more from the injection point, which some injectors prefer for broader areas like the forehead, and it often starts showing results slightly sooner. Botox tends to stay closer to where it is placed, which can be useful for smaller, more precise areas.

The units are not interchangeable between the two, so comparing price per unit across products tells you nothing useful.

Which one suits you depends on your muscle strength, your anatomy, and what you are trying to soften. That is a real clinical decision, not a preference, and it belongs in your consultation.

What to Expect

Your consultation covers your medical history, what is bothering you, and what is realistic. The injecting itself is short, often just a few minutes. There is no downtime, so you can go back to your day afterward.

Results are not immediate. You will start noticing changes within a few days, and the full effect settles in around one to two weeks. Most people see results last several months before movement gradually returns, at which point you decide whether to repeat.

Common Questions

Will I look frozen?

That comes from too much product, or product placed in the wrong muscle, not from the treatment itself. Conservative dosing and accurate placement soften lines while leaving your expressions intact. If it worries you, say so, because starting lighter and adding more later is always an option. Adding is easy. Waiting out too much is not.

Does it hurt?

The needles are very fine and most people describe a brief pinch. It is over quickly.

How long does it last?

Several months for most people, varying with dose, the area treated, muscle strength, and metabolism. It fades gradually rather than stopping all at once.

Is there anything that rules me out?

Some conditions and medications make botulinum toxin a bad idea, and it is not used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Your medical history gets reviewed at the consultation, which is part of why this is a medical appointment rather than a spa service.

Can I combine it with my other appointments?

Often yes, and that is one of the advantages of having it here. Facials, dermaplaning, and nano infusion all pair well with injectables, though the order and the spacing matter. Ask us when you book and we will sort out the sequence.

Call Pia Esthetics at (813) 831-2418 to ask about a Botox or Dysport consultation, or book online.