A common question for many people who are new to Botox is how many units they will need during treatment. Everyone is different, however, so it is impossible to give an exact answer without consulting a licensed medical professional. That said, depending on your age, gender and needs, we can help you determine an approximate amount. Read this short guide to learn more about what Botox is, its benefits, and how many units you will likely need for your treatment.
What is Botox?
Botox is a cosmetic treatment that helps to smooth wrinkles in the face by relaxing the facial muscles and preventing them from contracting. It is FDA-approved and is injected directly into the muscle. It is derived from a natural bacterium called botulinum toxin that is found in soil, lakes and forests, and, while being an extremely poisonous substance, is considered safe when used in extremely low concentrations, such as injections.
Botox can help you look years younger by removing wrinkles on your forehead and around your eyes. Moreover, Botox is also helpful in alleviating a variety of other symptoms, including excessive sweating and migraines caused by jaw clenching.
What Are the Benefits of Botox?
Botox is a non-surgical, non-invasive option to reducing lines and wrinkles on the face. It can also help lift your brow to make you look less tired and appear younger. Botox can also be used under the arms for people who suffer from excessive sweating, which is an embarrassing problem that must be dealt with on a daily basis.
One of the best (and little-known) benefits of Botox is that it can help reduce migraines. Clenching of the jaw often leads to painful headaches or migraines. Since Botox prohibits the contracting of muscles in the face, it eliminates jaw clenching. Many clients have reported that after Botox treatment they have had little to no migraines for as long as their treatment duration (3-6 months).
In addition to the benefits described above, Botox can also help treat a variety of other medical conditions, including:
- Spasms of the eyelids
- Severe neck and shoulder spasms
- Crossed eyes
- Overactivity of the bladder wall muscle
How Many Units Do I Need?
Now that you know a little more about what Botox is and what benefits it provides, we will discuss how to determine how many units you may need. Like any treatment, it all boils down to your individual needs and goals.
Average Botox Units By Facial Part
First consider what the averages are for the different areas of the face, so you have a baseline of what to expect starting out.
- Chin: 2-6 units
- Corners of the mouth: 3-6 units
- Crow’s feet: 5-15 units
- Eyebrow lift: 2-5 units
- Forehead lines: 10-30 units
- Frown lines (between the eyes): 10-25 units
- Laugh lines/jaw relief: 15-50 units per side
- Lines around the nose: 5-10 units
- Neck bands: 25-50 units
Now that we have a foundation to work with, consider these other factors that could influence how many units of Botox you will likely need:
Your Muscle Strength
The strength of the muscles in your face, particularly the forehead muscles, plays a large part in how many units you will need. Obviously, if you have stronger muscles, you will need more, whereas weaker muscles require less. Also, this is one area where gender makes a significant difference. Men generally will have much stronger facial muscles than women, which will require a higher dosage.
Your Budget
Unfortunately, Botox treatments are not cheap, and it is likely that your insurance company will not pay, as it is a cosmetic treatment (not an explicit medical one). As such, it is advised that if you cannot afford all the units of Botox you need for a full treatment, do not do it until you can have enough. Using a fraction (say, half) of the units you need for a full treatment will not give you the results you want, and you will end up spending more money getting more treatments in the long run.
One suggestion is to start with an area that requires less units (like the eyebrows or crow’s feet) and work your way up to the larger areas when you can afford it.
Treatment Goals
What are your goals, besides eliminating wrinkles? Decide if you want to completely eliminate all the wrinkles from your face (resulting in no muscle movement at all), or if you just want to remove a few wrinkles and retain some range of movement. This can go a long way into determining how many units you will need.
Your Metabolism
If you have a fast metabolism that easily processes substances in your body, you may find yourself needing more frequent Botox treatments than someone with a slower metabolism.
Just like muscle strength, gender plays a role here as well. On average, men will have a much higher metabolism than women (which is why they tend to lose weight faster). As a result, men not only require a higher dosage, but more treatments.
Speak to Elume Medspa For More Information
As we have seen, the amount of units of Botox you need will always vary from person to person and a lot of different factors come into play including: gender, muscle strength, budget, goals, metabolism, and more. Thus, it is important to know what your body needs (and what your goals are) before you schedule your first treatment.
Of course, estimating it yourself is no match compared to a professional assessment, and consulting a professional is always the best way to go to determine how many units of Botox you will need.
Interested in Botox or speaking to a medical provider about your skin-care needs? Contact Elume Medspa today or schedule a Botox treatment consultation. We will be happy to discuss your needs for Botox and any other treatments you may be interested in.
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