How Many Units of Botox Can Go Into a Syringe?

This is varied from practice to practice and during your initial consultation, ensure you are well-informed and comfortable with your provider before treatment!

Depending on the number of ccs of saline that is used to mix the Botox powder, the same number of ccs of the liquid in one syringe vs. another could have different numbers of units of Botox. Some doctors might have prefilled syringes with certain amounts, but in my practice I examine each of my patients immediately prior to their treatment and decide how many units I need and then those are drawn up into the syringe. Some patients would only need less then a 1/10th of a 1 cc. syringe and others might need 7/10ths. In other words, it is the number of units administered that is most important in discussing Botox.

I agree with my colleagues. Botox is shipped as a powder and is resuspended in saline. The dilution and the volume of the syringe affect the number of units in the syringe. We treat with the optimal number of units to achieve a given result. This is independent of the size of the syringe or dilution of the Botox. Dermal filler, on the other hand, which is used to fill lines and wrinkles and plump the face comes in syringes typically containing 1 - 1.5mL depending upon the product. I hope this information is helpful.Stephen Weber MD, FACS

Botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT-A) treatments are done on a per unit basis. A Botox Cosmetic vial contains 100U of Botox; this can be suspended into solution with any number of different volumes of saline. The volume of Botox injected will then depend upon the number of units of activity the doctor wishes to administer.

I typically suspend Botox in 2cc of saline, which is a concentration of 50U/cc (or 1U/0.02cc). I use a 1cc syringe to inject, so that syringe can hold 50U of Botox based upon my typical suspension. Each physician will have his or her preference for how they resuspend the BoNT-A and how much they inject at each site. If you are curious about how it is administered then just ask them.

Best wishes, Ken Dembny

There is no correct answer as to how many units of Botox can go into a syringe.  The answer depends on how much volume of saline is used to reconstitute the Botox and how big of a syringe is used.  Technically, 100 units or more could be put in one syringe.  Most doctors use a 1cc syringe to inject Botox and most likely use an average of 20 units or so to treat a particular area.  The amount can vary from doctor to doctor and from patient to patient.