Botox: everything you need to know.
Allergan's onabotulinumtoxinA — the original and still the market leader. 3-4 month duration, works best on dynamic wrinkles (forehead, 11s, crow's feet). Honest guide: no marketing speak.
$10-15per unit
3-14 daystime to onset
3-4 monthsduration
94%would do again
See what Botox would look like on your face.
Our AI simulator shows the result before the appointment — forehead, 11s, crow's feet, or all three.
Units by area.
Allergan's dosing guide, cross-checked with actual provider practice. Numbers vary with muscle mass, movement intensity, and starting wrinkle depth.
| Area | Units (typical) | Cost (at $12/unit) | Duration |
|---|
| Forehead lines | 10-20 | $120-$240 | 3-4 months |
| Glabella (11s) | 20-25 | $240-$300 | 3-4 months |
| Crow's feet | 18-24 (9-12/side) | $216-$288 | 3-4 months |
| Lip flip | 4-6 | $48-$72 | 8-10 weeks |
| Masseter (jaw slim) | 25-50 (per side) | $600-$1,200 | 4-6 months |
| Full face (forehead + 11s + crow's) | 50-65 | $600-$780 | 3-4 months |
Who should do your Botox?
This is the question most patients get wrong. Plastic surgeons aren't necessarily the best injectors — in fact, the top-ranked injectors in most cities are nurse practitioners or PAs at med spas who do 20-30 patients per day and specialize exclusively in neurotoxins.
- Nurse injector (NP or RN): highest volume, often best technique. Match for routine Botox.
- PA-C: physician-supervised, often works alongside dermatologist. Great for combo treatments.
- Dermatologist: best if you have skin conditions alongside (rosacea, melasma, etc.).
- Plastic surgeon: overkill for Botox alone. Right choice if you're combining with a procedure.
Red flags — when to walk out.
- Price under $8/unit → almost certainly counterfeit or heavily diluted Botox from a grey market source. Real Botox vials cost providers ~$5/unit wholesale.
- Injector can't name the vial lot number or won't show you the vial being opened fresh.
- "Botox party" group settings without proper sterile technique.
- No medical history review, consent form, or follow-up plan.
- Promised "no downtime" results in 24 hours — real Botox needs 3-14 days.
What Botox can't do.
Botox treats dynamic wrinkles — the ones that appear when you move your face. It does not treat:
- Static wrinkles already present at rest (filler or resurfacing is the answer)
- Volume loss or sagging (that's filler, Sculptra, or surgery)
- Skin texture, pores, redness (lasers)
- Under-eye bags or dark circles
See your Botox result in 60 seconds.
Upload a selfie, tap the areas you're thinking about, and see three honest variants: do nothing, conservative, full result.