What Does Botox Look Like Before Water is Added?

Botox is prepared as a lyophilized protein. It is present in such small quantities that you can barely see it and looks like a dusting of talcum powder on the bottom of the vial. I actually returned my first vial because I thought it was emtpy.

When you get the new vial of Botox from Allergan, there's just a faint white "dust" in the vial, which represents 100 units of the crystalline powder.  It doesn't look like much - but it sure works!

Botox Cosmetic comes in a sealed vial of 100 "units" per vial. It is a microscopic protein - so when you look in the vial before it is mixed with sterile saline, it looks like almost nothing. You can see fine tiny white crystals around the base of the vial. Different doctors will use different amounts of saline to mix up the botox - usually between 1 to 3 cc's. We use 2 cc's - so there are 5 units per 0.1cc of saline. Its the number of units injected that counts, not the amount of saline (although too much saline will cause the botox to diffuse farther and could lead to more side effects).

You could say that Botox comes in a freeze dried powder that is almost invisible in the bottle before it is mixed with saline.

Hi 659.  Botox is actually a fine freeze dried white power before that is mixed with saline solution prior to injection.  It looks almost like baby powder of very fine ice shavings.

Botox comes in a small glass vial as a freeze dried white powder.  Once it's mixed with saline it can then be injected.  Please consult with an experienced injector of Botox such as a plastic surgeon or dermatologist prior to receiving this product. I do not recommend that you attempt to purchase it online.

Best wishes,

Dr. Bruno

Botox (onabotulinumtoxin A) is a lyophilized (freeze-dried) and purified protein that is appears as a fine white powder along the bottom of the Botox vial. This is easy to miss or even interpreted as water stains on the bottom of the vile. When suspended with saline the mixture is clear.Be healthy and be well,James M. Ridgway, MD, FACS

The BOTOX is freeze dried to a powder in the vial.  If I recall correctly each vial contains 5 nanograms of purified protein.  Basically, this is one of the most expensive products out there.  Fortunately only a tiny amount is needed for a treatment.  The doctor reconstitutes the dry product to make the solution that is injected.

Botox looks like a fine white powder in the vial before it is diluted with saline. The amount in the vial is very small and sometimes difficult to see.

Botox cosmetic looks like white small crystals in a vial before it's reconstituted with saline & ready for use.