Was I Overcharged For 70 Units of Botox?

Hello Cynlyn.  If you were only getting the forehead and crow's feet treated (not including the areas between the eyes) then the amount of Botox used was probably too much.  We usually use between 30-40 units for the forehead and crow's feet.  If the glabella (between the eyes) is included, it usually goes up to 50-60 units.  In either case, it sounds like they may have used a bit much.

Regarding the price per unit, $14 may be a bit more than average in Los Angeles, but it's not completely out of line.  

No, you were not robbed.  The fee calculates to $14 per unit which is certainly within a normal spectrum of fees, although every region is somewhat different.  The quantity used was also not out of the ordinary for treatment of the glabella, horizontal forehead lines, and crow's feet.  More importantly, did you achieve the desired result?  If, yes, it was most likely the correct amount and placement.  If not, you need to return for a re-evaluation.

No you were not robbed at all. In fact, in NYC the cost per unit may be much more. Crows feet alone can be 18 to 30 units of Botox (includes both sides) and the glabellar forehead (between the eyebrows) can take 15 to 35 units on average, and the upper and mid forehead can get 6 to 20 units.
 

To answer the question whether you were overcharged or not depends on what is really at the issue.  The fee of dollars/unit or that you were charged for 70 units?  As most doctors here agree, you were charged a high fee for the botox but not unheard of.  To me the real question is whether or not you really needed 70 units.  Best way for you to find out is to see how many units you got from your previous injector and if that worked for you in the past it should work for you again.

Sincerely,

Martin Jugenburg, MD

Botox is expensive and demands special training before administration.  We charge a little bit less a The Center for Plastic Surgery, but $14 per unit is not unreasonable.

Did your surgeon overcharge you for Botox treatment? $14 per unit ($980 for 70 units) is on the high side of cost for Botulinum toxin but not unheard of. In terms of the number of units that you were treated with 70 units seems excessive for treatment of the forehead and Crow's feet. However, each patient is different and some people have more robust, strong muscles and require additional treatment. A final note that among the two forms of Botulinum toxin available in the US, units are not directly comparable from Botox to Dysport. Thus, Dysport tends to be cheaper per unit but patients require about 2.5 x the number of Botox units for the same effect. I would recommend discussing this with your injector to figure out if your future injections can be brought in line with what you paid previously. Alternatively, find another injector that is willing to explain the cost to you upfront.Stephen Weber MD, FACS

This works out to be $14 per unit.  The real issues are: 1. Did you need all these units and 2. Did you get all of these units?  This much BOTOX should give you a frozen forehead that last 3-4 months.  I personally do not think a frozen forehead is an optimal forehead result.  The point is though that if you are happy with the treatment effects, the fee per unit is in line with what other offices charge.  On the other hand, if the treatment is not to your liking or it does not last nearly as long as the treatment you have had in the past, then something is up.  There are likely to be many injectors in your area to choose from.  Ultimately you get what you pay for.

I do not think you were overcharged.  $980 for 70 units brings the cost to $14 per unit.  I personally charge $13 per unit.  Remember that Botox is an expensive product for the physician also; the cost per unit of Botox for the Physician is roughly $5.50.  Therefore, the overhead on this product is already 39% (at your Physician's price).  Consider the fact that most practices run at 50-60% (before product costs as with Botox), making Botox a lower margin procedure than most would assume.

Botox generally runs between $10/unit to $15/unit.  70 units seem high but if you trust the new office injected 70 units then $980 is on th high end of the range but not unreasonable.

70 units is a lot of product. I understand from patients that other practices quote lower prices per unit than my own but then supposedly use twice as much product. I am dubious that you were actually injected with this amount of Botox unless the product was improperly reconstituted. It is important for the treating physician to estimate the number of units to be injected prior to the procedure so there are no unfair surprises and bad feelings.