Facial Injections: Info, Prices, Photos, Reviews, Q&A

Botox is usually sold by the unit. Anywhere from 25 – 50 units or higher could be used for a complete facial treatment.

Botox is diluted with preservative free bacteriostatic Normal saline to compose the injectable solution.

I dilute my 100 unit bottle with 4cc of normal saline to obtain 2.5 units per 0.1 cc of solution.

Some practitioners dilute with less or more of the normal saline solution to obtain the concentration that they prefer to work with. (Thomas Guillot, MD, Baton Rouge Plastic Surgeon)

Cost per cc vs unit

Botox comes as a dry powder and is dissolved in normal saline.

Depending on how much normal saline is added, the concentration of the botox per cc can change. Therefore the cc cost of botox can vary widely from doctor to doctor as the concentration changes.

4 Units 0.1cc And Most

A cc could have 5 units or could have 10 units. Thus the price could be twice as much. I don’t know anyone personally who charges by cc. Most people charge by unit or location. (Chris Thiagarajah, MD, Denver Oculoplastic Surgeon)

Botox cost measurement

Botox should be priced by unit, because the unit determines the level of efficacy. Whether I dilute 10 units in 0.1 cc or 1 cc, it still only has 10 units of effectiveness, albeit spread over a different volume. (Anand D. Patel, MD, Brookfield Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Botox should be sold by the unit

A “unit” delivers a certain amount of relaxation. A unit can be delivered in 0.01 cc or 0.025 cc or even 0.05 cc, depending on how Botox is reconstituted. (Melissa Chiang, MD, FAAD, Houston Dermatologic Surgeon)

Botox Comes Packaged In A Vial Contaning 100 Units Of Dry Powder

Botox by unit

It is more common to advertise Botox per unit, rather than by cc’s. It can be measured by cc’s, but the amount depends on how much solution is added to reconstitute the Botox. In Toronto, Botox ranges from $12-$15/unit. (Jerome Edelstein, MD, Toronto Plastic Surgeon)

Units better for measurement

Units are basically the exact amount of Botox administered, before it is reconstituted. Botox can be reconstituted at different concentrations, therefore CCs is not as accurate. (Michael Constantin Gartner, DO, Paramus Plastic Surgeon)

Purchasing Botox by the unit tells you exactly what you are getting

Botox is supplied by the manufacturer as a dry powder in a vial, then the doctor adds saline fluid to turn it into a liquid prior to doing the injection. The concentration of the Botox in the vial will vary depending on how much fluid is added.

Botox Pricing By Cc Is Uncommon

However, the total number of units in the vial will stay the same. If you ask your doctor how many units are being injected rather than just the volume of fluid, you will know how much Botox was actually injected. (William Andrade, MD, Toronto Plastic Surgeon)

Most providers sell Botox either by the unit or by the site and the cost varies depending on the individual practice and where you are in the country. (Jeffrey W. Hall, MD, Austin Plastic Surgeon)

Botox cost should always be priced by the unit

Botox cost should always be priced by the unit. This is the only way to compare “apples to apples”. If you don’t know the concentration of the cc’s, you don’t know how many units you are receiving.

Botox Units Per Cc

Be sure to demand the number of units you are receiving. (Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD, Minneapolis Dermatologic Surgeon)

Botox Cost – CC’s Vs. Units

The accurate dosage of Botox is described in Units not CC’s. CCs are an estimation of the dilution and do not correlate with the Units. Most doctors charge by units or areas treated. I will be asking the doctor some questions if he/she charges by the cc. (Naveen Somia, MBBS, PhD, FRACS, Sydney Plastic Surgeon)

Most offices charge for Botox either by the unit(10–16) or by the area Injected. The amount of cc of Botox injected is irrelevant, unless you know how much the Botox solution has been diluted with saline. (William Portuese, MD, Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon)

CC Does Not Tell You Anything About The Units

I have not heard of doctor’s charging by cc’s or botox volume. Most doctors charge by the number of units. Example: $15 per unit and a patient needs 20 units to their glabella= $300. Some doctors may charge a set amount per area, ex.

300 for glabella. This is rare, as different patients require diffferent dosing. (Paul S. Gill, MD, Houston Plastic Surgeon)

Botox units vs cc

I have so many patients ask this question and it can all be so confusing. What really matters more than this, which can be affected by the dilution, is how you look afterwards and how long it lasts.

If it dissipates too quickly or too little was placed, will the doctor do a touch-up for you several weeks later at no charge. These are the important variables and of course what cosmetic result you achieve. (Michele S. Green, MD, New York Dermatologist)

Most Sell Botox By The Syringe

Since Botox is diluted differently by various doctors, referring to cc’s is meaningless. It is best to refer to units since it is distributed by Allergan in units. Regardless of how it is diluted, one unit is still one unit.

The average cost is $12 per unit but it varies in different parts of the country. Please consult a board certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon for best results. (Martie Gidon, MD, FRCPC, Toronto Dermatologist)

One vial of Botox has 100 units. Botox is injected to the muscles by measurements of units. Doctors or nurses are trained by injecting Botox by measuring the amount in units. My recommendation is to only get the treatment with someone who measure and charge by units as this is only way to know if you are paying a good price for it. (David A. F. Ellis, MD, Toronto Facial Plastic Surgeon)

People Sell Botox By Cc

Don’t buy Botox by the cc.

It is too hard to know how many units that equals, and what you are paying for. The most reliable method is to pay by the unit. A second, common way is to pay by the area treated. (Jessica J. Krant, MD, MPH, New York Dermatologic Surgeon)

Botox is best sold in units as it is most directly comparable from practice to practice. If you are comparing cc’s then that may make for confusion or inaccurate comparisons as different practitioners may mix the botox differently. (Kris M. Reddy, MD, FACS, West Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon)

How Do Doctors Charge For Botox?

I personally think the only way a doctor should charge for Botox is by the unit. The only way to legally purchase Botox in the United States is per unit. Meaning, most doctors purchase a 100 unit bottle of Botox from Allergan – the only make and distributor of Botox in the U.S.

Price Per Unit, Not Cc, Vial Or Area

The bottle requires ‘reconstitution’ in order to be used properly. This means that the doctor has to add saline (salt water) into the bottle in order to create a solution of Botox that can then be injected.

If you add, for instance, 4 cc (milliliters) of saline into the bottle, you then get a solution that has 25 units per cc. If you add 10 cc of saline into the bottle, you get a solution that is 10 units per cc.

Most doctors use a 1 cc syringe to inject Botox. Unfortunately, one syringe in one office is not equivalent to one syringe in another office. Using our examples note above, one syringe in the first office would be equivalent to 25 units of Botox.

In the second office, this would be equivalent to only 10 units of Botox. So changing the dilution of Botox can significantly effect the amount of Botox that is actually being given in one syringe. The only measurement that really matters when it comes to controlling unwanted muscle movement is how many units were used.

That Most Surgeons Mix Botox Either 20 Or 25 Units Per Syringe

This is also the only consistent factor between offices. So from a patient’s perspective, you should only be concerned about how many units are being used in your particular situation. In the San Diego area, Botox can range in price from $8.00 – $17.50 per unit.

There shouldn’t be any difference in the effectiveness of one unit of Botox from one office to another. Charging patients by the unit of Botox used is a much more transparent method than charging them by the number of syringes used or areas treated.

This is the only way for patients to reliably compare apples to apples when it comes to Botox use. (John M. Hilinski, MD, San Diego Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Do not buy cc’s of Botox!

If a physician is selling you CC’s of Botox he/she is almost certainly trying to deceive you. There are two common ways to offer Botox in today’s market, one is by the unit and the other is by the area.

Measuring in CC’s is deceiving because a CC of diluted Botox does not tell you how much actual Botox is in the dilution, rather it tells you more about how much saline was used. Purchasing Botox in anything other then the “unit” cost will usually lead to paying more for the product.

If you know how many units are being injected, you can easily judge how it compares to another practice. Understand though that this pricing information has nothing to do with the amount of skill necessary to create good outcomes and you should always seek out experienced, well trained Botox injectors. (Harold J. Kaplan, MD, Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Botox vials are measure in cc’s. However, there are 100 units per vial. Everyone does it differently. I usually dilute 2 cc’s for the bottle. I don’t per se charge per unit or per cc’s. I charge per area.

The forehead costs more than the glabellar region or the crow’s feet. Around the country, I would say there probably is a large range. Even in NY there is a large range. The forehead which probably uses.

5 cc or 25 units is about $500-800, The other areas are less, and the three areas together average less than the individual regions. (Steven Wallach, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

You don’t know how much Botox you are getting

The problem with selling it in cc’s is that it doesn’t tell you how much actual Botox you are getting. If it is diluted less than in other offices, you might be getting more units, if diluted more, then you will be getting less with the same number of ccs.

That’s why only units should be discussed. (Ronald Shelton, MD, Manhattan Dermatologic Surgeon)

Selling Botox by the cc is uncommon

Most practitioners sell Botox by the unit or area. Depending on how it is diluted will depend on the price. I would suggest finding a practitioner who sells Botox by the unit or the area. (Christopher L. Hess, MD, Fairfax Plastic Surgeon)