Wondering About the Average Cost of a Botox Treatment? Your Questions Answered

Wondering About the Average Cost of a Botox Treatment?  Your Questions Answered
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Being on a budget does not mean you have to sacrifice your looks. Some beauty treatments such as masks and mild glycolic peels can be achieved at home. However, more dramatic beauty treatments, such as Botox require a trip to a plastic surgeon. Do not fear, you can fit this treatment into your budget. Knowing the average cost of a Botox treatment ahead of time will allow you to save up for the first treatment.

What is Botox?

Botox is the brand name for botulinum bacteria used for cosmetic and some health-related procedures. When administered incorrectly, a patient can be at risk for botulism, a condition that causes paralysis of the muscle. However, established plastic surgeons with years of Botox treatment experience know how many units to use and if it is safe for a particular patient to receive Botox.

Cost of Botox

Botox comes in vials for which your surgeon pays about $450 per vial, according to Dr. Jean Loftus. Some plastic surgeons will charge an average flat rate of $200 to $300 for each injected area. Therefore, if you have three areas that require a Botox injection look to pay between $600 and $900.

Some doctors charge patients by the unit. The University of South Florida (USF) states plastic surgeons charge between $10 and $16 per unit of Botox used on a patient with the average cost per unit being $13. USF explains that the number of units used differs between gender and type of facial line. If the furrow lines between the eyebrows require 16 to 28 units of Botox for a female, expect to pay anywhere between $208 and $364 for this one area.

Plan a Budget for Botox

Typically, Botox treatments last for six months before another injection is needed. If you figure on spending, a total of $1000 for your treatment, then create a savings plan to accommodate this cost. Maybe cut out some entertainment costs like the movies and eating out to help save.

Plan ahead at least six months so you can save. On the other hand, maybe you can begin saving around tax time if you normally receive a refund. The refund money can give you a jump-start or even cover the first treatment. Any extra money you receive such as overtime pay or monetary gifts should be saved.

It is also wise to open a separate account just for your Botox treatments. Many banks and credit unions offer club savings accounts that allow you to save money for a specific time frame and withdrawal once that period has ended. You can continue using the account to save for subsequent Botox treatments.

Your Safety Comes First

Some people have Botox treatments administered at plastic surgeon’s home at events called Botox parties. How these work is that a group of patients get together and are charged a lower, group rate for the treatments. While reducing your costs for Botox this way may seem like a great idea, you must remember you are dealing with a toxin that can cause paralysis. Not to mention, a surgeon’s home is not the same as the sterile environment of his or her office.

Cutting cost at the risk of your health is not cost effective in the end. If something were to go wrong, you incur additional medical costs and possible loss of income. Therefore, in the end the cheaper rate could end up costing you more.

In Closing

While the average cost of a Botox treatment was discussed in this article bear in mind that large cities such as New York and Los Angeles may have higher prices and a smaller town such as Elkton, Maryland may be cheaper. Do not be afraid to pick up the phone and contact your local plastic surgeon and ask what he/she charges for Botox treatments for a more accurate figure. Remember it is easier to save for something if you have the most accurate and exact cost for your goal.

Sources

USF’s Cosmetics Blog: Thinking about Botox? How many units of Botox will you need and what is the cost? - https://hscweb3.hsc.usf.edu/health/medicine/cosmetics/?p=155

Infoplasticsurgery.com: Botox by Dr. Jean Loftus - https://www.infoplasticsurgery.com/facial/non-surgical/wrinkles/botox/

This post is part of the series: Beauty on a Budget

Sometimes being on a budget means you have to make sacrifices. However, you do not have to sacrifice your beauty. Discover tips and tricks that will allow to keep up with your beauty needs and still maintain a budget.

  1. Beauty on a Budget
  2. Beauty on a Budget: The Cost of Botox