Did you know that cosmetic doctors administer six million Botox treatments every year? No wonder Botox is the most popular cosmetic procedure to date. Although this elective and non-invasive cosmetic surgery is quite popular, there is a lot of confusion online surrounding the cost.
How much is Botox? On average, the cost of Botox is around $10 to $20 per unit. This elective cosmetic procedure is priced per unit. For example, if the cosmetic surgeon injected 20 units of Botox in your forehead, he will charge you a total of $200 to $400.
Read on to learn more about the cost of Botox and the factors that can affect its overall cost.
How Much Is Botox?
Botox is a substance used in cosmetic procedures to make old skin look younger again. It is actually a neurotoxin sourced from Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium found in the natural environment. This substance is non-toxic and inactive in its original state.
The typical cost of Botox treatment is $10 to $20 per unit. For instance, if the cosmetic surgeon has used 20 units to erase the lines on your forehead, you will be charged $200 to $400 for the cosmetic surgery.
The actual cost of a Botox procedure depends on a wide variety of factors. It depends on the needs of the patient, the areas that will be treated, and the number of units required to get the best results.
Actual Cost of Botox
The actual cost of Botox widely varies because, as one cosmetic surgeon says, each patient requires different treatment areas in differing amounts. That said, the average cost of Botox treatments are the following:
Chin Dimpling – can range from $250 to $350
Neck Lift – can range from $850 to $950
Jaw Slimming – can range from $800 to $1200
Brow Lift – can range from $450 to $600
Actual costs also vary because some cosmetic surgeons choose to charge per unit, while others charge per area treated. However, the average cost in this industry is around $20 per unit. Therefore, if your treatment requires 20 units of Botox, you can expect to pay the surgeon $400 for your treatment.
Typically, the treatment will be performed in just one spot on your face. Some people require as many as 60 units in one area. It is also possible to get lower costs of Botox treatments. Some clinics offer Botox procedures for only $180 for 20 units.
Each patient requires a different Botox procedure. For instance, one patient may need multiple syringes of Restylane Defyne because he or she has deeper nasolabial folds (smile lines). Meanwhile, another patient will only need Restylane Lyft in small amounts because he or she only needs a subtle lift on the mid-face and cheeks.
Also, the effects of Botox are more isolated. In other words, its effects are confined in the areas of Botox injections.
How the Cost of Botox Is Determined
Two main factors influence the actual cost of a Botox treatment.
Manufacturing Technology – There are differences in the cost of each product simply because each product uses a different manufacturing technology.
Doctor’s Fee – Doctors who perform Botox injections charge different fees. If you want to be treated by a popular and sought-after doctor, be ready for a steep service fee. But doctor’s fees can get more affordable if your doctor isn’t that well-known.
The most important thing to remember when getting a Botox treatment is the skill and the aesthetic sense of the injector or cosmetic surgeon. If you’re paying for lower service fees, expect that you may not be getting the best approach and aesthetic knowledge in Botox treatment. In other words, for this kind of cosmetic procedure, go for the best service that you can afford.
How Much Botox Is Required per Treatment?
The amount of units needed for a Botox treatment also depends on the type of treatment that the patient will select. For instance, forehead Botox may require up to 20 units, whereas frown lines may need 18-24 units.
Another factor is the pricing style of the cosmetic doctor. The price could be quoted as the cost of the entire treatment or as the cost of each vial used. Some cosmetic clinics charge a fee per unit or syringe of Botox used, while some doctors charge a service fee per treatment.
Typical Costs of Botox Treatments
Based on real-life data, the average costs of Botox treatments are the following:
1. Blanching
This procedure minimizes fine lines and prevents the treated area from becoming puffy. Its average cost is $1,000 to $1,100 for short-term filler using the cannula technique. For long-term fillers using the same technique, the cost is $1,200 to $1,400.
2. Under the Eyes
The cost of short-term fillers (Belotero) using the cannula technique is $850 to $1,000. On the other hand, long-term fillers (Volbella), using the same technique, ranges from $1,100 to $1,200.
3. Calcium Jowl Lift
This procedure will pick up your jowls and restore your jawline. The calcium filler cost ranges from $2,250 to $2,500 using the cannula technique.
4. Tacking
This procedure restores the loss of bone structure in your cheeks. Short-term fillers cost $800 to $1,000, while long-term fillers cost $1,000 to $1,500.
Methods Used in Botox Treatments
There are two methods used in the Botox procedure: needle injection and the cannula technique. A cannula has a blunt tip needle, which allows the doctor to put the filler along the tissue planes.
Aesthetically, fillers that use the cannula technique look better. They also give the treated area an “untouched look.” That means the filler inserted in that area will not be visually evident. Additionally, the patient leaves the clinic looking unbruised.
Doctors who use the best types of fillers, such as Botox and Dysport, usually charge higher service fees. These two facial fillers and neurotoxins are some of the most used injectable treatments. Some doctors exclusively use hyaluronic acid fillers. Their effects are long-lasting and are safer to inject.
How Long Do Botox Injections Take?
One of the things that made Botox a popular facial enhancer is that it’s a quick procedure. That’s why it is popularly called a “lunchtime procedure.” It only takes around 10 minutes to inject the filler. However, you can only see visible results after about 24-48 hours.
The full effect of the procedure tends to appear slowly. However, you can expect your face to be noticeably smoother within a week, and optimum results will be evident in about a month. But, it’s also important to note that Botox treatments don’t last forever.
Botox Prices in the Northern United States and Los Angeles
In 2005, the average cost of a Botox injection was $375. Since then, it has not changed dramatically up to now. The highest rates charged for this kind of procedure in 2005 were in the Northern US. The lowest fees were in the Western States.
Botox procedures are more expensive in Los Angeles than in Pennsylvania. The former is an urban community, while the latter is a rural area. That explains why the charges for Botox treatments in LA are higher compared to the rates in Pennsylvania.
Despite that, the actual cost of a Botox treatment is always dependent on the following factors:
The skill and expertise of the cosmetic medical practitioner who will perform the injection
The quality of the cosmetic procedure
The required number of injections
The time of the year the patient wants to have the treatment
The type and amount of insurance that the cosmetic surgeon is paying for his practice
The flat-rate charge for specific types and levels of Botox treatment. Usually, these charges range from $300 to $1,000. The unit per treatment rate is generally between $10 and $20.
How Much Do Doctors Pay for Botox Vials?
Cosmetic doctors usually buy Botox in vials, wherein each vial contains 100 units. They typically purchase these vials at $350 each. Cosmetic surgeons may consume 100 units when performing 4-5 Botox treatments. They have to use the vial once opened because it loses its potency very quickly within a few hours.
That’s why you must be extra careful about cheap Botox services. If an injector is offering his or her services at ridiculously low prices, you need to double-check. It could be that the injection services and the injectable substance that they’re using are of inferior quality.
The American Academy of Dermatology, together with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, already issued a warning against such substandard Botox services. These organizations are safeguarding the public against cosmetic doctors who are using low-quality Botox materials, equipment, and services.
How Much Botox Do You Require?
There are general guidelines on how many Botox units are needed for the treatment of the most common areas of the face. A majority of Botox service providers follow these guidelines as their starting doses before customizing their treatment plans.
The following are common facial areas treated with Botox along with their required Botox units:
Forehead lines – 10 to 30 Botox units
Smile lift – 3 to 6 Botox units
Pout boost – 2 to 4 Botox units
Frown lines (Glabellar lines) – 15 to 25 Botox units
There is an alternative to standard Botox treatments, and it is called “Baby Botox.” Some practitioners of this method claim that it may be the future of injectables. This method uses lower volumes of Botox compared to regular Botox treatments.
For example, in “Baby Botox,” the cosmetic doctor uses only 10 units instead of the recommended 25 units in a particular facial area. According to some cosmetic surgeons, many patients ask for half of the standard doses. The reason is that they want to lose their wrinkles, but they don’t want to look frozen.
Aside from the lower doses, “Baby Botox” also uses a different injection technique. This technique is called targeted micro-injections, which require precise injections of the product under lower doses. The result, they claim, is a more natural and customized look.
There are two major advantages to this alternative Botox treatment style. One is that there is a lower risk of your facial features looking frozen. Botox injected in microdoses considerably reduces such risk. The other advantage is the cost of the procedure. With half doses, you will naturally pay half the amount of the standard treatment.
Moreover, “Baby Botox” is best used for crow’s feet but can also be performed on any facial area. According to cosmetic surgeons, a subtle treatment using low doses is more effective in this area. Those who have moderate to fine lines are good candidates for this alternative treatment.
“Baby Botox” can also be used to prevent facial lines. So, instead of treating deep folds in your face, it is better to prevent them from developing in the first place. If you are concerned about maintaining a youthful look, cosmetic doctors recommend using “Baby Botox” as early as your 20s. They say it’s the answer that you’re looking for if you want to prevent the formation of wrinkles.
How Long Does Botox Last?
Short-term injections usually last from 6-11 months. But it depends on your rate of aging, which can be faster based on your genetics, sun exposure, and lifestyle habits. Long-term fillers usually last from 1-2 years.
If you don’t top up your Botox injections once they are used up, your facial lines will return. The muscles in the treated area will return to normal and resume the aging process in your face.
Conclusion – How Much Is Botox?
So to recap, how much is Botox? The cost of Botox is typically around $10 to $20 per unit. This elective cosmetic treatment is priced per unit. For example, if the cosmetic doctor gave you 20 units of Botox treatment in your forehead, his total service fee will range from $200 to $400. In some cases, the cost per unit can reach as high as $25 or $30 per unit.
The cost can vary quite a lot because each patient requires a different level of treatment. The average cost of specific Botox treatments are as follows:
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