In South Florida, there are hundreds of practitioners offering Botox® injections at prices that range from $99 to $450 per area. If you want the best deal, you may be tempted to jump at the $99 price, but before you decide least expensive is best, you need to know what you’re getting for your money.
Because there are so many places out there offering Botox®, it’s important to know how experienced your injector is. Some are fresh out of a video webinar and inject a patient every few weeks, while some have years of training and daily experience. The actual injection of Botox® is not difficult. Knowing where to put it so your eyebrows don’t droop and you can still open your eyelids all the way is where proper training and experience come in.
More directly related to the dollar value is to figure how much Botox® you are getting. Vials of Botox® either contain 50 or 100 units of medication, and physicians mix it with saline before use. Diluting Botox® with extra saline can make it look like you are getting more then you really are. That can leave you with too much muscle movement and premature return of wrinkles.
Also, when Botox® is priced by the area it’s hard to know how many units you’re actually getting or how many you really need. Those who need fewer units than others may be paying for more than they have to.
Finally, you have to take into account the entire experience. Extras like topical anesthetic to numb the area and cold compresses to minimize bruising can make for a better experience. And if the practice takes the time to register you for the official Botox® “Brilliant Distinctions” reward program, it could save you hundreds of dollars a year on Botox®, Juvederm®, and Latisse®.
The bottom line is that with Botox®, the least expensive may not be the best value.