Botox cost - CC's vs. units?

How common is it for doctors to sell Botox in cc's instead of units? How much does Botox cost per cc of Botox vs. per unit of Botox?

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13 answers to “Botox cost - CC's vs. units?”

A: Do not buy cc's of Botox!

By Harold J. Kaplan, MD - Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

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... more

A: Botox costs

By Steven Wallach, MD - Manhattan 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,... more

A: CC does not tell you anything about the units.

By David Shafer, MD - Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Di, You are correct, people sell Botox by cc, which is a measure of volume, or by unit, which is a measure of total Botox. Additionally, they may sell it by areas, which tells you nothing about the volume or the total Botox. It is best to always know how many units you are receiving. This way, the next time... more

A: You don't know how much Botox you are getting

By Ronald Shelton, MD - Manhattan Dermatologist

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

A: Botox: Price per unit, not cc, vial or area

By Michael Law, MD - Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon

Physicians reconstitute Botox with different amounts of saline solution, which means that the number of units of Botox you receive per cc of the solution that is injected may vary from practice to practice. For this reason it is important for consumers to understand how many units of Botox are being... more

A: Selling Botox by the cc is uncommon

By Christopher L. Hess, MD - Fairfax Plastic Surgeon

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.

A: Most docs I know charge either by the unit or by the area treated

By Bryan K. Chen, MD - San Diego Dermatologist

I feel that the fair way to charge is by the unit because it is the amount of Botox protein that you are actually paying for. That being said, the typical going rate for Botox in my area of the country is 12-16 dollar per unit. If your injector is charging you per cc, he or she may still be charging... more

A: CC's are irrelevant

By Kenneth R. Francis, MD - Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Dear Di, Botox is packaged as a 100 unit vial of freeze dried material, which has essentially no volume (cc's). We, the physicians, then add any volume (cc's) of saline solution (salt water) that we choose to add. This gives us a number of units per cc. In general, there is... more

A: Units tell you more

By Marc Cohen, MD - Philadelphia Oculoplastic surgeon

Botox is packaged as a dry powder. The physician adds saline fluid to prepare for the treatment. The amount of saline added determines the concentration of Botox (how many units are in each cc). There are various reasons why a physician may chose one concentration or another. ... more

A: Botox pricing by cc is uncommon

By Min S. Ahn, MD - Westborough Facial Plastic Surgeon

It's not very common for practitioners to offer Botox by volume. Most offer by site (frown, forehead, crow's feet lines) or unit. Botox comes packaged in a vial contaning 100 units of dry powder. This is then mixed by the provider with sterile saline resulting in a concentration measured as units/0.1cc. Most... more

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Comments (2)

dverebelyi
79 posts
31 Dec 2008

A vial of Botox cost all physicians about the same and contains 100units of Botox. The vial comes as a dry power with is reconstituted with saline. Different providers use different amounts of saline. This is usually anywhere from 1-4ccs. This means you could be getting anywhere from 100units to 25units depending on the dilution if you buy it by the cc. Recently more studies suggest that the higher potencies (i.e. less dilute) of either 1-2cc tend to work the best. Botox should normally cost between $10 - $18 per unit, depending on the injector. Any less and the Botox is most likely from outside the country which is both illegal (The FDA cannot monitor it) and highly suspect for counterfeit. If you buy it by the unit, you understand exactly how much your provider is using over which areas and make sure you get a fair price.

Steven A. Schlosser M.D.
89 posts
2 Jan 2009

As previously stated by others, most physicians charge Botox by the unit (100 units per bottle) ...or by the area. Being charged by the unit is of course the most accurate because you know exactly what you are getting and "exactly" what you are paying for it. It is normal to have the injector tell you how many units are planned before it goes it. Then it's simple math. Pricing by area gives you less certainty about how many units you are getting from your injector and therefore makes it a bit less certain what you are actually paying,ie. did the $300 for the glabella use 15 units or 25 ? Pricing by CC has the greatest potential for ripoff, as you are paying for the diluting solution to mix the Botox. The cost per unit can be increased dramatically by volume without the patient knowing how much Botox really was administered. As a plastic surgeon friend used to say:"you don't need to be a Neurosugeon to give Botox." You just need good training, experience, and of course ethics.