BOTOX ® Cosmetic is the only FDA-approved treatment for temporarily improving the appearance of moderate to severe frown lines in men and women. BOTOX Cosmetic is administered in very simple and quick nonsurgical procedure. By relaxing the muscles that cause wrinkles, you will see noticeable improvement in about seven to ten days.

BOTOX ® Cosmetic is a highly refined and purified protein that is injected in tiny amounts (usually 0.1 to 0.05 ml per injection) directly into the muscles that cause wrinkle lines of expression. BOTOX ® Cosmetic blocks a specific chemical substance, known as a neurotransmitter that causes facial muscles to contract thereby relaxing them.

Our doctor will discuss with you where the injections will be administered to achieve the best results. The actual procedure takes less than ten minutes, and discomfort is minimal. Optionally, a cold pack may be applied to the area to be treated if desired.

After your procedure, you may see immediate results within a few days, though the full effect may take up to a week to become optimal.

In a patient clinical study, Allergan, Inc., Irvine, California, the makers of BOTOX ® Cosmetic, described that 89% of patients who had received Botox judged the severity of their frown lines between their brows as moderate or better.

Do you use full strength Botox or is it diluted?

BOTOX ® Cosmetic is a labile protein, meaning that it is very fragile. It is supplied by Allergan in a sterile 100 Unit vial vacuum-dried without preservative and is shipped on dry ice to the doctor’s office via Federal Express next-day delivery. Once received it must be kept refrigerated. The prior recommendation was to keep the product stored at 5 degrees Celsius or lower to preserve its activity.

Since the protein product is freeze-dried, it must be reconstituted just prior to use. In other words, the dried product must be made into a solution before it can be used. This is done by using non-preserved sterile saline to dilute it.

Each vial contains 100 Units of dried BOTOX ® Cosmetic. For the frown line area, Allergan recommends a dilution that delivers 4 Units of BOTOX ® Cosmetic in every 0.1 ml injection. To do this, the doctor adds 2.5 ml of non-preserved saline to the 100 Unit vial. In its solution form, one vial can provide twenty-five 0.1 ml injections, and each of these injections will contain 4 Units of Botox.

Not all physicians always use the 4 Unit per 0.1 ml concentration. Some may choose to use a more dilute concentration, say 2.5 Units per 0.1 ml injection. This means that every injection will contain 2.5 Units of Botox. This is not unacceptable, and viewed by many as a more conservative approach to treatment. According to the recent Consensus Recommendations on the Use of Botulinum Toxin Type “A” in Facial Aesthetics.

“A literature review noted that most clinicians use a dilution of 2.5 to 3.0 ml per vial. The members of the consensus panel agreed that a range of dilutions and injection volumes is acceptable and depends primarily on the number of units to be injected and the preference of the practitioner.”

Whatever concentration is used, you the consumer are entitled to be educated about the factors considered for your treatment.

How much does it cost?

BOTOX ® Cosmetic is sold to physicians in 100 unit vials. In other words, you can think of this as a “per unit” cost. This is why many choose to sell Botox by the unit. You get specifically what you pay for, no more, no less.

A common perception among consumers is that “places dilute their Botox” so they can make a larger profit. This could hold true if such places sold Botox by-the-area treated. However, when sold by-the-unit, a more dilute concentration of Botox would simply benefit the consumer financially, not the provider.

A component of our mission at Lumier is to serve the individual interest(s) of the consumer on the premise that interventions are compatible with ethical practice and appropriate care. Your safety, quality of care and effectiveness of treatments you receive are our main priorities.