How much does Botox cost?

We charge Botox Cosmetic by the area. The three most common areas are the crow's feet, forehead, and the lines in-between the brows (glabella). I typically use approximately 60 units for those 3 areas and charge $575. So in our practice we charge about $10/unit. I personally do all of my own injections and have treated over 2000 patients last year with Botox. I have considered raising prices over the past few years, but in today's financial turmoil, even though surgical prices have risen in my practice, Botox and other injectible prices have remained the same for the past 4 years.

I tell my patients that it is not the total price that is important, but how many units are used. For instance, if a patient goes to a spa and pays $150 per area, that may sound like a great deal. However, when the patient ask how long the treatment is supposed to last, the spa responds "2 months". I have seen that many of those less expensive treatments often consist of around 10 units (and therefore carrying a "non-deal" $15 cost per unit!). So, what initially looks like a great bargain, is in fact just a treatment with an inadequate amount of Botox. Always ask your injector how many units they are using, so you can determine what price/unit you are getting. Experienced injectors know that there is no such thing as a standard amount of units, as everyone's facial anatomy and muscular strengths are variable, even from one side of the face to the other.

As the only Facial Plastic Surgeon in North Texas to have Diamond status with Allergan, we have found that in today's economic environment, patients want value as well as quality. Understand that when you go to a non-physician med-spa for injectible treatments, there are more hands in the "cookie jar" diluting the price for your treatment. For example, the med-spa that is owned by a non-physician, with a nurse injector, is the hardest model to stay competitive in today's world. In that scenario, the patient is paying for the cost of the Botox; PLUS the cost of the nurse to inject the product; PLUS the fee for the medical director to sign off on the nurse doing the injections; AND the profit for the medspa. By going to a physician, the patient can cut out 2 of the middle-people. The chances of getting more product for the same price is greater by going to a doctor's office for your treatment.

Another factor to consider, more high volume practices have more patient incentives from Allergan and the other manufacturers. My patient's receive rebates from the company, instant savings at the checkout, and regular reminders about upcoming treatments and specials that are sponsored by Allergan. This program is only available to the nation's busiest, most successful practices.

I always tell my patients that you get what you pay for. However, you need to advocate for yourself and understand what you are getting for your dollars. Ensure that your injector is experienced and properly trained; that you are getting FDA approved Botox Cosmetic from Allergan; and know how many units you receive. As well, a physician's office should maintain a medical record of your treatments so you can optimize and customize your Botox to achieve the best effect and value. Good Luck!

In Seattle, the cost usually ranges between 10$ and 16$ per unit. It varies depending on a few things. 1. Expertise of the injector, 2. Who the injector is (physician vs other), 3. Whether an office may be running a special. The number of units placed in an area can vary. For instance, for the frown lines between the eyebrows, studies show that the right amount for most women is 25 units. However, in my practice, I may put in as few as 10 (young female with a very petite forehead) or as many as 30 (larger forehead, strong frown line). We usually have 2-3 "botox" special events per year, and we also have an ongoing special price for VIP patients to reward them for coming to our clinic.

Botox can be bought by essentially any person with a DEA certificate. Allergan sells it in 50 and 100 unit vials. They are shipped overnight delivery on dry ice to keep the toxin effective it should be opened, reconstituted and used the same day ideally. The Botox will work best this way. Price points will change by who the injector is and what their motives are. Botox can be reconstituted so that you getting a very dilute amount of product. So a by the area approach may really only give you a small amount of product. Or you could be getting old Botox that is a week old and will not last for very long.

So better questions are not how it is priced but rather, When was the Botox reconstituted? How many units will I be getting in the areas of concern? The other doctors answers are reasonable about the dollar values per unit. $10-20/unit depending on the part of the country you live in.

Best advice: ask the questions above and know who is injecting you.

Most physicians pay roughly the same amount of money to purchase a vial of Botox. However, the cost of a Botox treatment is not the same among all providers. Botox is not an ordinary commodity such as wheat or sugar or flour. Botox is a medical procedure that requires nuance, experience and expertise. All Botox providers are not equal in education or skill and some are actually quite poor. Most Botox providers charge either by the amount of Botox used or by the region of the face treated. I feel that charging by the amount of Botox used is the most equitable.

I would caution against shopping around for cheap Botox. There are practitioners than offer bargain prices that are not sustainable from a business standpoint. They may be diluting their Botox or injecting less units than advertised.  Also, some practitioners charge less per unit of Botox but inject significantly more Botox than is required to achieve the optimal outcome. For instance, 60 units of Botox at $10/unit is more expensive than 45 well placed units at $12/unit. 

My suggestion is to find a physician Botox provider in your community with a reputation for integrity and natural results. Good luck. 

Doctors may have different ways of charging for Botox injections.

Usually it's by the unit, in which case it can vary between $10-$15 per unit.

The other main method is per area, i.e. the frown lines might be $300, forehead $250 etc. Usually multiple regions done at the same time are discounted.

Overall to know you're getting good value you should ask to be charged per unit and find out what your dose is. This also tells you what you will need for your next injection.

For the areas you mentioned, the frown lines would typically need 25 units, the forehead about 15 and the crows feet about another 20.

Overall you are looking at about 60 units so you should be paying about $600 - $900.

I agree with Dr. Di Saia - it seems Botox pricing varies with the barometric pressure (or maybe the Dow Jones average). In my practice, I view Botox as a valuable service I try to provide for my patients in the most convenient and economical way possible.

As a plastic surgeon, it will never be a major source of income for me, so I choose to make it easy and affordable. We charge $13 per Botox unit. Having said that, though, we have a monthly day of beauty when Botox, facials, and peels are discounted - in the case of Botox, usually to $10 per unit. Currently, because we are welcoming a Nurse Practitioner to our Aesthetic Surgery Center, we are even offering Botox for $7 per unit!

You are correct that our cost for the Botox is closer to $6 per unit, but please remember that this does not include your dermatologist's costs for shipping, office overhead, and supplies used to inject the Botox, to say nothing of the increased time and effort your dermatologist spent training relative to your family practice doctor.

It sounds like your dermatologist is already charging you a very low fee for performing an excellent service with which you have been very happy. He is a professional, and as such deserves to be fairly compensated for his training and expertise.

I usually charge $12 a unit for botox. The number of units depends on the site. The "eleven" lines or glabellar area I usually use 20 units. Also I used 20-30 units for the forehead. In the crows feet I use about 15 units per side or 30 units total. To give a Botox brow lift I use 5 units total. Finally to give a patient a natural smile or soften the sad look of the mouth I use about 10 units. You can calculate the math to determine the cost depending on what you would like to get. Botox cost is going to vary by location as overhead will be different in different areas of the country. Maintaining a park avenue office is much more costly than an office in New Jersey so my price may be lower than someone in Manhattan. Someone in Bucks County Pennsylvania may have lower costs and thus lower prices still.