Price of Botox

“How much is your Botox?” is a question that we hear at Celibre Medical every day. Seems like a simple, straightforward question, right? Well, not really. You see the price or cost of Botox injections goes way beyond how much the actual product itself costs. Sure, that’s an important part of it, but you also must consider the value of the service, the time spent with each patient as well as the skill and expertise of the person holding the syringe. How do you put a number on all these things?

For these reasons, you can find a very wide range of pricing for Botox in the Los Angeles area. We’ve seen prices as low as $7 per unit (with the catch that you bring a friend, come in during certain hours, or purchase a minimum number of units) all the way up to $21 per unit at a practice located in Beverly Hills. On average, you will find the price of a unit of Botox in the LA area is around $11 to $13 per unit.

The old adage of “you get what you pay for” certainly tends to hold true if you’re buying your Botox on the lower end of the spectrum. We hear from many people who’ve gotten “rock bottom” Botox prices that they didn’t get the results that they wanted or results that lasted very long. Worse yet, some tell us that the appointment was so quick, that they felt like herded cattle.

So, there really is a lot that goes into figuring out the “price” of Botox. Here are a few more factors that you should consider:

• Dilution: Let us first clarify for you that all Botox must be diluted. It comes as a dried residue in the vial that must be mixed or “reconstituted” with saline for injection. Now, the vial contains 100 units. Allergan, the manufacturer of Botox, recommends that the vial be reconstituted with a certain amount of saline to ensure that the correct number of units can be drawn up reliably in a syringe and placed at each injection point. Some practices may use more than the recommended amount of saline to dilute the vial, but still, use the recommended volumes at each injection point. This practice results in an “under-dosing” that may not give the desired results (if any) or results that don’t last very long because there are fewer units being injected than there should be. Don’t get confused by the lingo here; just ask your injector if they are using the manufacturer’s recommended dilution. An answer of “no” could mean that you aren’t exactly getting what you think you’re paying for.

• Treatment areas versus actual units: Just like most other drugs, Botox needs to be “dosed”. The dose of Botox that you need depends on your gender, the strength of your muscles, and your specific anatomy. When practices charge for Botox by “treatment area”, they typically have a standard dose that they give to everyone, regardless of their individual needs. This is how they can make money on their Botox. While you may pay more when you purchase the specific number of Botox units that you need, you are probably getting the dose that will give you the best results.

• Botox treatment plan and execution: Botox is a drug that requires a treatment plan. Just like any other drug, you need to be educated on how it works, what to expect after you take it and how it will help you. You also need to know the risks and possible side effects of using Botox. All of these things require a conversation that takes time. As a patient, you need the time to ask questions and your injector needs time to answer them. Once you understand your treatment plan, you can give informed consent to proceed. You should know the” ins and outs “of your specific plan like how many units you’re getting, where your injections will be placed and the “do’s and don’ts” following your injections.

• Expertise: You are also paying for the experience, knowledge, and skill of the practitioner injecting you. What kind of training does he or she have? How long have they been injecting? How many injections has he or she done over the past week, month or year? Skills do get rusty and techniques to evolve and change. Finding an injector that is at the top of its game is worth the extra added cost in many cases.

Don’t simply shop “by the numbers” when it comes to Botox injections. Do your homework, ask questions and be an advocate for yourself. While Botox is a cosmetic treatment, it is a powerful drug that needs to be used responsibly and appropriately to give you the best results.

* Botox Before and After Photo

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