How To Dilute Botox With Saline?

Botox must be reconstituted and sterile solution added to the contents of the vial. Allergen has a standard dilution rate of 4 units per 0.1 ml.

To the extent that some doctors use different dilution ratios and may also charge based on the areas injected, you can see that there is a possibility for differences in the amount of product actually used and difficulty in comparing results and costs. (Robert L. Kraft, MD, FACS, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Botox comes from the manufacturer (Allergan) in a freeze dried form that has to be reconstitiuted.

Doctors use different dilutions to arrive at an amount that is easy for them to know how much volume equals each unit.

In my practice patients pay by the unit so the dilution is not as critical for them as they only pay for what they get. (Michael L. Schwartz, MD, West Palm Beach Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Administering Botox

Botox is more comfortable when diluted with Bacteriostatic Saline

Botox needs to be reconstituted with saline before use. Patients who were surveyed stated that when Bacteriostatic saline was used to reconstitute the Botox there was much less pain with injection. (Edward Szachowicz, MD, PhD, Minneapolis Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Does Botox need to be diluted before it is injected

Botox and Dysport and Xeomin come as powders so you cant inject them without adding some fluid. The question of how much fluid is added is a big deal both for physicians and patients.

I tend to add about 2 mL of saline to my botox so I get 50 units per 1 mL. However, others add more or less.

You may find that places add a lot more to give someone a “discount” vial of Botox and this results in injections that are mostly saline with little Botox.

General Rule For Reconstitution

If you are getting 200 dollar injections but only getting 10 units, you are overpaying. This happens at discount places and results in short term injection results or Botox that “doesnt work” With Botox, Dysport, Xeomin etc, you tend to get what you pay for.

Since the products are expensive if they are purchased through reliable channels. dont look for a “deal”. (Kenneth Beer, MD, Palm Beach Dermatologic Surgeon)

Botox dilution

Since Botox and Dysport come in a frozen powder, they do require reconstitution with sterile normal saline for proper treatment. Different doctors may use more or less concentrated dilutions depending on their preference. Thus, you can have 10 units mixed in 0.

1ml or 10 units in 0.4ml. It is the number of units delivered (and not the dilution) that determines the effect. (Elizabeth Piantanida, MD, Colorado Springs Dermatologic Surgeon)

How To Do Neurotoxin Reconstitution

Botox must be diluted before it is injected

Prior to use, Botox and Dysport are reconstituted with sterile saline solution. The dilution and final concentration will depend upon the preference of the injecting physician. Studies have shown that Botox and Dysport are safe and effective up to 6 weeks after reconstitution with sterile saline solution containing preservative to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination. (Mitchell Schwartz, MD, South Burlington Dermatologic Surgeon)

Botox is reconstituted and not “diluted”

Botulinum toxin is supplied in vials in a dried powder form. In order to make it suitable for injecting, it must be reconstituted with saline prior to use. The term “diluted” is not a correct description of this process.

Guidelines exist which recommend the number of units to be used in a given area to treat hyperdynamic lines. The amount of saline used may vary, but this simply means it will require more or less liquid injected to deliver the same number of units. (Corey S. Maas, MD, San Francisco Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Neurotoxin Treatments

Botox and Dysport both come as a powder, so to get it into the skin it must ve converted to a solution by adding saline to it. Remember, the dilution is not what counts – the only way to compare apples to apples so to speak is to know how many UNITS of the product that you receive.

What dilution physicians use depends on where we’re using it – for example, opthalmologists inject into very tiny muscles when treating strabismus (cross-eyes) so they dilute it using a very small volume, so they don’t have to inject much fluid into the tiny muscles.

This is compared to when we inject Botox under the arms for sweating, the muscles we are treating are connected to the sweat glands and don’t need very much of the botox, and we need to spread it over a larger area, so we dilute it with a higher volume of saline.

Reconstitution Using Bacteriostatic Saline

But the number of units in the bottle is still the same. (Laura E. Skellchock, MD (in memoriam), Boca Raton Dermatologic Surgeon)

Botox is shipped as a powder. Sterile saline is added to the bottle, with the amount of volume added determining the dilution. There is an acceptable range, and there are benefits and drawbacks to each endpoint.

With higher concentrations it may be a little harder to control the dose, but there is less diffusion. Lower concentrations make it easy to measure dosages; however, the more dilute botox spreads farther. This is bad when nearby muscles are inadvertantly paralysed, but can be good for treating larger areas like the central or upper forehead. (Joseph Mele, MD, Walnut Creek Plastic Surgeon)

Botox and its main competitor Dysport comes as a dried powder which must be reconstituted using a saline solution. Each physician has their favorite dilution which they feel most comfortable but it generally ranges between 1-4cc.

Specific Areas Of The Face Require Different Reconstitutions For Greater Neurotoxin Results

Using their favorite dilution the physician will calculate how much solution to inject in order to deliver what they feel is the correct number of units. (Ted Brezel, MD, Long Island Dermatologic Surgeon)

Diluting Botox for Injections

The product must be diluted during the reconstitution process according to current protocols since it arrives with a freeze dried powder in the vial. (Harold J. Kaplan, MD, Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Botox comes in a frozen vial with a tiny bit of barely visible power inside. Doctors reconstitute this with injectable saline and draw up the reconstitute solution for treatment. The solution that is injected represents saline with the reconstituted BOTOX.

Doctors typicall use between 1 and 4 ml to dilute with. This is surgeon preference. What is important is how many units of BOTOX you got and how it was placed. (Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD, Beverly Hills Oculoplastic Surgeon)

Specific Reconstitution For Each Area Of The Face

Botox is delivered in powder form and is “reconstituted” with saline prior to injection. The degree of dilution with saline may vary from practice to practice. (Tom J. Pousti, MD, FACS, San Diego Plastic Surgeon)

The better way to describe how Botox must be prepared for use is that the product must be reconstituted before it can be used. Botox is sent in a clear vial that if you looked it, appears empty.

The Botox protein is in the vial and saline has to be added to it to make it a liquid form for use. How much saline is added is up to the individual injector and almost everyone has their favorite mixture ratio. (Herluf G. Lund, Jr, MD, Saint Louis Plastic Surgeon)

Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin All Require Dilution Prior to Injection

All of the currently available neurotoxins are delivered to the doctors office in vials containing concentrated drug. Sterile salt water is added to the vials and gently mixed before the material can be injected. (Alexander Gross, MD, Atlanta Dermatologic Surgeon)

Botox and Diluting

Botox comes frozen in a solid state from the manufacturer. It is diluted with saline prior to use. The amount of saline used to dilute Botox varies from injector to injector. Once it is diluted it must be refrigerated. (Sheri G. Feldman, MD, Beverly Hills Dermatologist)

Botox Must Be Diluted Prior to Use

Botox is sent from the manufacturer in a small glass vial and the Botox medication is a powder at the bottom of the vial.

Saline is added to the vial to turn the powder into a liquid that can be injected and the amount of liquid added varies slightly between physicians.

Botox looses potency once the saline is added so it is diluted before use. (Jonathan Sonne, MD, Naples Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Botox Needs Diluting

All Botox vials come with a thin film of the active medication . Physicians ( or their personel), then mix saline ( most use preserved) into the vial.

The dilution will vary between 1 cc of saline ( most concentrated, least diluted) and 10 cc ( most dilute, least concentrated). (Arnold R. Oppenheim, MD, Virginia Beach Dermatologist)