There’s a new office in town offering $12/unit for Botox, is this too good to be true?

Question

There’s a new office with a grand opening special of $12 /unit for Botox. The account even post the doctors Botox and fillers certification on their Instagram account. It also says she’s a board certified internal medicine doctor, but it just seems too good to be true...what are your thoughts?

Ozge Ergun, MD · Answer

The price of Botox operation depends on several factors such as the difficulty of your case and your request for your operation area. 
In my practice, prices for Botox operation reaches from 325 Euro up to 350 Euro range. If you want to learn more you can visit my profile.

Muhammad Mirza, MD (license suspended) · Answer

Thank you for your question. $12 per unit is a good price, in my opinion. More important than the price is the experience level of the injector. Be sure to do the research to find the best provider for you. All the best!

Gregory A. Buford, MD, FACS · Answer

Considering that you are treating your face, keep in mind that you usually get what you pay for.  Instead of going for the cheapest price, look for experience and certification as a means to determine who to go to for your facial injectables.  I hope that helps and wish you the very best!Warmest regards,-Gregory A Buford MD FACSBoard Certified Plastic Surgeon and AuthorCertified Allergan MASTER Facial Injectables Trainer

Michael I. Echavez, MD · Answer

Botox for $12/unit is a relatively low price, but you're probably getting what you pay for.  I would not recommend having the treatment done by an internal medicine doctor and think the risk of a bad outcome or side effect would be greater than having the treatment done by a facial plastic surgeon, plastic surgeon, or dermatologist.

Alex Eshaghian, MD, PhD · Answer

Thank you for your question kristendlg. I understand your concern. Botox is a purified protein used to address wrinkles associated with facial expression. When injected into the skin Botox will relax the muscles and smoothen out the overlying wrinkles. The most common areas of treatment are in the upper face. These include the horizontal lines seen on the upper forehead when one raises the brows, the vertical lines seen between the brows when one frowns (frown lines), and the crow's feet seen around the eyes when one smiles.The investment for a Botox treatment varies from office to office. It depends on the region, office, and injector. The total investment also depends on how much product is required, the areas treated, and the individual. For example, if someone has a larger forehead, a higher dose will be required. If multiple areas such as frown lines and crow’s feet will be treated the investment will be more than that if only a single area is treated. In general, men have stronger muscles than women both on the body and on the face. For this reason, men usually require higher doses than women. Please click the link above for more information. I recommend that patients look for a qualified injector instead of the best price. Look for experience, before and after photographs, and testimonials. The investment range for a Botox treatment is $200 - $500 per area. Areas include frown lines, crow’s feet, etc.
With any injection, there are risks such as pain, bleeding, bruising, redness, swelling, tenderness, and infection. We take special precautions to minimize these risks such as using a painless technique. We also treat bruises with a laser as early as the next day. Bruises usually resolve within two weeks if untreated. After a laser treatment bruises usually resolve in 1-3 days, but may still take two weeks for full resolution. In addition to these risks, with Botox there is also a risk that the product spreads or diffuses to nearby structures. Spread to nearby muscles can lead to side effects such as the temporary appearance of droopy eyelids or a temporary asymmetric smile.
After a Botox treatment, I recommend that my patients avoid heat exposure, alcohol consumption, and strenuous exercise for 24 hours and not lie down flat for four hours. This is because all of these activities may possibly lead to the movement of the product and consequent side effects such as droopy eyelids. Although there have been no definitive studies shown that these actually occur and some physicians do not provide such aftercare instructions, in the absence of data I err on the side of caution and recommend that my patients avoid such activities.
  
Please consult with a doctor for specific recommendations. Good luck!

Michele S. Green, MD · Answer

Botox is an art and a new doctor who is not board certified in dermatology and has had cosmetic training may need to offer such a low price to gain new customers.  This is your face and I would choose your physician based on their experience and board certification.  Best, Dr. Green

Selena Lantry, MD · Answer

While those prices are not necessarily too good to be true, you will get what you pay for.  In my professional opinion, your face is not something you should take too great a risk on and patient reviews are a great way to get a sense of a provider’s track record.  As this is a new office with its grand opening, the doctor will most likely not have the amount of reviews as who has been injecting Botox for many years.   I would wait and ask about patients’ experience with the provider at the grand opening to ensure your best outcome.

Shaun Patel, MD · Answer

Most experienced injectors in Miami, where I practice, charge $14-$17 per unit of Botox or an equivalent amount of Dysport. That being said, South Florida tends to me a more expensive market. I would based your choice of physician not on price but on experience and results. Look at their online reviews, before/after photos, and discuss any concerns your have with them in person prior to treatment.

Susan Longar, MD · Answer

Hi Kristendlg!
I don't know what the range is for Botox in your area of the country, but our office in the San Francisco Bay area charges between 12 and 17 per unit, depending on where and by whom you are injected.  We tend to pass on discounts from Allergan to patients who regularly receive their treatments from our office.  My nurse does many cosmetic treatments, and does them well, she charges at the lower end, when I inject Botox, I usually charge more because many of my patients also have a medical issue (eye twitching, as an example) that requires an advanced technique with a little bit of product on the contralateral side to ensure a pleasing cosmetic outcome.  We consult with each patient before injecting anything so no one gets "surprised" at checkout.

Deborah Kessler Hudak, MD, MHA · Answer

If the Botox in your area generally costs more, there is reasonable explanation for the discount...such as the injector is inexperienced and is anxious to get people in the office.  Another is that the botox is diluted in such a way by that office that you are not actually getting the number of units you think you are.  Another is that the Botox is "bootleg Botox," purchased from a vendor who is getting it from another country, such as Turkey, where it is sold cheaper....this is a practice highly discouraged by the FDA due to risks of it not being the authentic product or being contaminated. 
Bottom line: buyer beware! Botox is expensive at cost, and if it is advertised for significantly less than normally observed, you need to question why.

There’s a new office in town offering $12/unit for Botox, is this too good to be true?

Answers (18)

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