Botox Cosmetic is a dose dependent drug, like most other drugs. It is usually priced by the number of units used. For example, a patient who is 40 years old may benefit from 30 units, while another 40 year old patient may benefit from 75 units. It is impossible to say without examining you. Much of this depends upon the number of areas you are seeking to improve, the depth of your lines and corresponding muscle strength, heredity, and sun exposure. It makes sense to pay by the unit, because you pay for what you use. If someone charges $350 per site (i.e. the forehead), you may end up paying too much or too little, depending on how much is used.
Ultimately, the amount of Botox Cosmetic that is recommended to you by your physician is purely a subjective estimate, based upon the physician's evaluation of your lines and muscle pull, and what he/she "thinks" you need. My approach is to make this estimate, tell the person what this would cost based upon our standard fee of $14/Unit, and then let them decide whether they wish to proceed or not. If they can't afford this, we can always use fewer units of Botox Cosmetic, but the patient knows that it may not be the ideal amount. However, we can always add more a couple of weeks later. I do like to see my patients back two weeks later for a quick recheck. At that visit, we can determine whether the appropriate dose was used, or if we need to add more. After this first treatment and the two week follow-up visit, I have "learned" what Botox Cosmetic dose is ideal for this patient for future treatments.
My suggestion would be to go to www.botoxcosmetic.com and find a board certified facial plastic surgeon, plastic surgeon, or dermatologist to perform these injections. Usually, those practices listed near the top are those that have the highest volume of Botox patients.
If you have any questions, please call 239-594- 9100 or visit our website, The Aesthetic Surgery Center in Naples.
Dr. Anurag Agarwal and Dr. Richard Maloney
