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Botox Unit Vs Botox CC Cost Comparison

asked 1 year ago by 2216anon in Pennsylvania
Latest answer by Kris M. Reddy, MD, FACS
Question viewed 2,372 times
Tags: costs, price, units

I am being charged $46.00 per CC for botox. How far will 1 cc go? I am going to new doctor for Botox and they quoted me $46.00 per cc, not per unit. How far will 1 cc go. I see people saying they get 20 or 30 units and they are chraged like $18.00 per unit. What is the difference between a unit and a cc?

15 answers to Botox Unit Vs Botox CC Cost Comparison

Never get a quote per cc

Botox comes in vials with 100 units. The material must be reconstituted. Most doctors put 1-2.5cc to reconstitute. So 1 cc could have as much as 100 units (a large dose). The important thing with Botox is the BIOLOGICAL RESPONSE which is dictated by the number of UNITS given. For example, most women need 20-25 units for the frown complex. Men need at least 35 units because the muscle mass is greater. Being told you are given a cc of Botox is nonsense and a should be a red flag that you... more

Mary Lupo, MD
New Orleans Dermatologist

There is not relationship between a unit of BOTOX and the injection volume

BOTOX comes dry from Allergan. Most office dilute the product with between 1.0 ml and 4.0 ml of saline. So in a legitimate office, this would translate into a 1 ml ( 1 cc) syringe containing between 25 units and 100 units of BOTOX. Assuming that your doctor dilutes with 4.0 ml of saline there would be 25 Units of BOTOX in the syringe that you are treated with. At $46 per syringe, that would mean that your doctor's office is charging you $1.84 per unit of BOTOX... more

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD
Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon

Cost unit vs.cc

A cc is an inexact measurement as it depends on how the botox is reconstituted. (mixed). We prefer the unit measurement as it is fair to patients and charge $12/unit.

Kris M. Reddy, MD, FACS
West Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon

www.drkrisreddy.com

Botox Charges

Thank you for your question. Yes, it can be confusing because some places charge per unit, some per area, etc.. The Botox is diluted and you need to make sure you are not going somewhere where they dilute things too much (and therefore may not get the results you are wanting). In my practice, the cost is usually around $12 per unit. I personally inject every patient myself - I do not have a nurse or PA do the injecting. I hope this helps.

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

Botox per unit vs botox percc

To charge Botox per cc sounds unusual and bizzare Since the number of units per cc varies greatly with the amount of Saline with which the Botox powder is reconstituted, you cannot know how many units you are getting, unless you get precise information as to how many units there are in one cc. I follow the directions of Allergan and I dilute the Botox with 2.5 cc of Saline. Since there are 100 Units in each bottle, 1 cc of my Botox vials contains 40 Units for which I... more

Eugene Mandrea, MD
Chicago Dermatologist

Results of Botulinum Toxin (Dysport or Botox) depend on number of units and not cc

The result really depends on how many units are actually delivered and that will vary according to the dilution or preparation of the product. It would be like charging you for sugar that was in a cup of coffee. It really depends on how many packets of sugar you put in. One packet will not taste the same as 4 packets, despite both being deleivered in 8 ounces. Ask how many units you are receiving.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Get Botox by the Unit- Not by cc or area- its the only way to know the true value

The active measure of how strong the Botox is, is the unit. You can change the cc's, use more or less for one area (eg, my doctor charges me X for the forehead- it could be 5 units or 20 units depending on what is used). I would really question anyone who would sell Botox for $46 per cc. The highest dilution accepted for cosmetic Botox is 4 cc, and this would mean that he/she were selling Botox injections for much less than they even bought it for... more

Amy Taub, MD
Lincolnshire Dermatologic Surgeon

www.advdermatology.com

BOTOX comes in a powder form

BOTOX comes in a powder form and is usually diluted anywhere between 1-4 CCs. If the vile is a 100 unit vile diluted with 1 CC, that 1 CC is going to provide a lot of units. Some doctors will dilute it more in order to get a weaker solution, which means they are then able to inject it in smaller muscle groups and will get more diffusion. Other doctors will make it very concentrated so they can inject in very small amounts. But, the cost should be per unit, not per CC.

Joseph A. Eviatar, MD
Bronx Oculoplastic Surgeon

Botox strength: CC versus unit

What a great question as there is a lot of confusion about this! One bottle of Botox has 100 units in a powder form. This means the powder has to be dissolved with salt water so it can be injected. It is the number of UNITS and not the volume (as it can be diluted with different volumes of solution) which makes the Botox work. For most areas in the upper face (forehead, frown lines, and laugh lines around the eyes) 15-20 units of Botox should be injected. ... more

Michael A. Jazayeri, MD
Santa Ana Plastic Surgeon

Only accept charges per unit. forget the cc

As dilution between different doctors offices vary, the standardization occurs by describing the number of units injected. Most doctors would dilute the bottle of Botox with either 1, 2 or 2.5 ccs of water. If you inject with 10ccs, the longevity of the effectiveness will be short and the risk of affecting other muscles and getting an undesired effect is higher from gravitational shifting of the higher volume of fluid needed to give the same number of units of Botox as a regular dilution... more

Ronald Shelton, MD
Manhattan Dermatologist

Botox should never be charged per cc

There are two main variables which can be controlled in the administration of Botox. 1. Fluid used to dilute the vial which contains 100 units. - Allergan who sells Botox recommends the use of 2.5 cc of Saline and results in 4units of Botox per 0.1cc of fluid. Most injectors will use between 1-4 cc resulting in a concentration between 10 to 2.5 units per 0.1cc 2. The amount injected at each site which is typically 0.1cc. This would results in 4 units of Botox.... more

Dennis J. Bang, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Botox units and volumes explained

Botox is a medication- its biologic activity is expressed in terms of 'units'. This makes for convenient dosing and replication of treatment between providers. The 'CC' refers to the volume of saline that the units of Botox are placed in. The important number to pay attention to is the number of units you were treated with. Botox is priced with great variation. Our clinic offers Botox specials as low as $10 per unit. A typical treatment for forehead lines... more

Scott Sattler, MD
Bellevue Plastic Surgeon

How is Botox measured

Botox is measured in units. You should always ask how many units have been injected into which areas. CC or cubic centimeter is a measure of volume which is equal to one milliliter. Botox should not be measured in cc's as there could be a different amount of units per cc depending on how the physician mixed it. It is also important to ask when your Botox was mixed or reconstituted as there is an amount of time after reconstitution where the Botox will no... more

Etai Funk, MD
Houston Facial Plastic Surgeon

For Botox Its the Number of Units that is Important

Botox comes to the doctor as a powder. It is dissolved in sterile saline solution before it is given to a patient. Depending on how the doctor prepares the Botox a cc of Botox usually is between 25-100 units of Botox. There are various medical reasons why your doctor might use one concentration or another. But the important point is that what matters is how many units you are receiving. I think there is some sort of mistake with the price of $46/cc. more

Marc Cohen, MD
Philadelphia Oculoplastic Surgeon

Botox Dosage

There is no relationship between units and volumes among different practices. It is totally dependent on the amount of dilution selected by the practioner (I use a dilution of 2.5cc for a vial of Botox containing 100units, which is fairly standard). Therefore, if you are being charged only $46/cc, it must be a very dilute solution.