Jeuveau Is The Longer-Lasting Botox Alternative You Need To Know About

Ever since I got my first Botox injections years ago, the wrinkle-smoothing toxin has become a regular part of my beauty maintenance routine. My only gripe? Despite doing the miraculous feat of taking years off my face, I have to get reupped every three months.

Thanks to the skin care gods, there has been a slow trickling of neuromodulators into derm offices that promise to last longer than your classic Botox. One such option is Jeuveau, a Botox alternative that’s become the fastest-growing aesthetic treatment for four years in a row since launching in 2019. When I got invited to try it this fall, I immediately said yes.

What Is Jeuveau?

Jeuveau is a neuromodulator — a botulinum toxin A, just like Botox, Xeomin, Dysport, and Daxxify — that’s FDA-approved to treat the glabellar lines, aka your frown lines or “11s.” (It’s also used off-label to treat the forehead, crow’s feet, smile lines, and other areas you’d inject with Botox.) When injected, it prevents your nerves from telling your muscles to flex or contract — aka the mechanisms that lead to wrinkles on the skin.

The Benefits

Despite generally working the same, Jeuveau has notable differences from its competitors. For one, its formula is extra pure, meaning it’s considered safer than other botulinum toxin A brands. “It has a unique, proprietary manufacturing process that utilizes Hi-Pure technology, resulting in 95% purity,” says Dr. Elizabeth Hale, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City. It’s also been found to have lower instances of ptosis, aka the eyelid drooping side effect that a small number of people can experience from other neuromodulators, as well as resistance (aka patients developing a higher tolerance to the toxin and therefore requiring more units more often to see results).

Perhaps the most appealing perk? Its quick and long-lasting results.

Jeuveau is also the most precise neuromodulator. “It has a tight field of effect and is designed to deliver precise, localized results,” says Hale. “It’s more specific and stays where you inject it.” This means it doesn’t migrate, unlike other kinds of Botox (like Dysport, notes Hale). Besides giving the practitioner more control over where the patient is treated, this feature is helpful in certain areas, like the corner of the mouth.

Perhaps the most appealing perk? Its quick and long-lasting results. “With Jeuveau, you can see results as soon as two days after the treatment, so it kicks in sooner than Botox, which takes a minimum of five days,” says Hale. On top of that, its skin-smoothing effects can last up to four months.

The Cost

The cost of Jeuveau will vary depending on your location, injector, and your overall aesthetic goals. To give you an idea, the 60 units I got in my face totaled $1,500 at Hale’s NYC office. “We charge similar for all toxins except Botox, where we charge slightly more,” she notes.

That said, Evolus — the parent company of Jeuveau — offers a first-of-its-kind membership program called Club Evolus for aesthetic treatments. For $49 per month, you can get injected with 20 units every 90 days with a participating provider (it’s currently available all over the country). Or you can sign up for Evolus Rewards to receive $40 off each Jeuveau treatment.

The Results & Aftercare

When I arrived in Hale’s Upper East Side office, I was taken into a treatment room where we discussed my skin concerns. I told her I wanted serious line smoothing, as being a working mom isn’t easy on my stress levels (and therefore my complexion). We decided to focus on my forehead, crow’s feet, glabellar lines, bunny lines (which come from crinkling your nose), and a few chin dimples. (And four spots on my upper lip for a touch of added fullness via a lip flip for funsies.)

Once she began injecting, I could barely feel a thing. For reference, I don’t typically find Botox to be painful, but there have been instances where I’ve felt little pinches — this is mainly due to the practitioner’s technique. Nevertheless, getting Jeuveau was a breeze.

After Hale finished going over all my areas of concern, she had me hold little ice packs on my face to soothe the injection sites and help prevent bruising. Upon looking in the mirror, though, I barely saw any redness, and had none of the bee-sting-like bumps I’ve gotten before from Botox.

My aftercare instructions were the same as they are for all other neuromodulators: don’t lie down for four hours after your treatment so that the toxin doesn’t spread. Use a gentle touch when washing your face (for the same reason), and wear sunscreen (which you should be doing anyway).

Though Jeuveau is said to kick in after two days, I swear I noticed subtle smoothing in my skin the night after my treatment. By the next evening, I felt like a new woman. My fine lines and wrinkles had mostly disappeared, and my entire face looked more taut, fresh, and, well, young. This fast-acting feature was pretty gratifying for an impatient person like me.

The Verdict

I usually notice my Botox wearing off around the three-month mark. But the last two times I got it, it lasted closer to two months — something I chalk up to regular exercise and high stress levels.

I got Jeuveau in mid-February, and I’ve only recently begun to see a bit of my fine lines and facial movements coming back — so its full, glorious effects have lasted a little over three months, from what I can tell. That might not sound like a lot in the neuromodulator world — it’s only one month longer than Botox lasted, in my case — but those extra 30-plus days are precious. And they’ll save you money in the long run.

If you’re a long-time Botox devotee wondering why you’d ever stray from your tried-and-true love, I get it. I’ve been there. Note that Jeuveau is the only neuromodulator that’s been put in a large head-to-head study against Botox in clinical trials — and the results showed a higher responder rate and patient satisfaction. Just saying. Studies have also shown it’s generally well-tolerated with no serious or drug-related adverse events observed, according to Hale.

Overall, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the results of Jeuveau. It kicked in super quickly and gave me an extra month of glowier, younger-looking skin — so I’m officially a convert.