How Many Units of Botox Do I Need?

The number of Botox units used during Botox Treatments will not be the same for everyone. Units of Botox will be customized for each individual, according to gender, the area of treatment, the strength of your facial muscles and anything else that may influence the amount of Botox that you need. Nazarian Plastic Surgery offers Botox Treatment at our Beverly Hills Office.

Many patients wonder, “How many units of Botox do I need?” This article will provide you with a guide to help determine the right form of treatment and the appropriate amounts needed to provide you with optimal results. 

Your Guide to Botox Injections

The most common areas for Botox treatment are the forehead, crow’s feet, and the frown area. No matter where you get your Botox from it will always be measured out in units. Allergan is the maker of FDA-Approved Botox (botulinum toxin), and it has set guidelines for cosmetic professionals. According to Allergan’s guidelines, the following units should be given:

• Crow’s Feet – 10 to 12 Botox Units per eye (2 eyes would mean 20 to 24 units)
• Frown Lines – 20 Botox Units
• Forehead lines – 20 Botox Units

You can get multiple Botox injections during your visit. So, if you were looking to get all three areas done you would need a total of 64 units. This may be less depending on the severity of the area of treatment. This is merely a guide; your cosmetic professional would make their recommendations during your consultation. You must listen to their suggestions and get all of your questions answered.

Read below for a general outline of Botox units. 

Botox Treatment

Like many other cosmetic treatments, Botox (bacterium clostridium botulinum) must be injected in just the right way into the right injection sites for best results. Effective treatment can give a more youthful appearance, but the injection specialist or plastic surgeon can only provide effective treatment if the right injection site and dosage are used.

How Much Botox For Each Specific Area?

Smile Lines?

Botox Injections are not used for smile lines. Botox is a temporary muscle relaxer. Therefore, if you injected it into your smile lines, you wouldn’t be able to move your mouth. Dermal fillers can be injected into smile lines to fill in volume loss.

Between Eyebrows

How many units of Botox should be used between eyebrows? On average, 15-20 units of Botox are recommended for in between eyebrows.

Brow Furrow

15-20 units of Botox are recommended to mitigate furrowed brows.

Eyebrow Lift

Injecting 10-15 units of Botox into the crow’s feet on the side of the eyes helps lift the brow. A lot of people think that injecting Botox in the forehead lifts the brow, but that is incorrect.  

Botox in the forehead temporarily paralyzes forehead muscles. The job of the forehead muscle is to lift the brows so, if you paralyze it, the brows lower.  

Instead, injecting Botox under the brow and around the crow’s feet of the eye lifts the brow. The muscle that causes crow’s feet pulls the brow down. Paralyzing the muscle around this eye (orbicularis oculi) helps lift the brow.

Cheeks

Botox is not used in the cheeks. Many doctors recommend adding dermal fillers to the cheeks. 

Forehead

Forehead lines can be treated with Botox Treatment. 5-15 units of Botox are recommended to treat fine lines on the forehead, depending on the size of the forehead or how much movement is needed.

Glabellar Lines

To diminish glabellar lines, doctors recommend 15-20 units.

Lips?

How Many Units of Botox For Lips? Botox can be used in the lips to soften kiss lines. However, it also makes it difficult to drink out of a straw as that muscle (orbicularis oris) is temporarily weakened. Because of this, many doctors recommend using lasers or superficial fillers to help with lines around the mouth.

Gummy Smile

2.5 units are recommended on each side. This is recommended for patients whose smiles reveal their gums. The Botox relaxes the muscle down and creates a smile that shows all teeth and no gums. 

Crow’s Feet

Average units are about 10 for on each side to improve the appearance of crow’s feet.

Eyes  

10 units are recommended on each side, strategically placed into various injection sites. 

Frown Lines?

The average units used for frown lines (Lateral Canthal Lines) is 15-20. Because the muscles are very strong, more units are needed to combat these lines. For some individuals, more units may be required.

Bunny Lines

How many units of Botox for Bunny Lines? 10 units are recommended on each side. Anything less will not give the desired effect because the muscle is like a fan and treatment must hit the whole muscle.

Face?

How much Botox to treat facial wrinkles? This depends on which areas are treated and the injection sites. Refer to other questions for specific facial muscles. 

Marionette Lines

Botox is not used for marionette lines. Botox is a temporary muscle relaxer. If you injected it into marionette lines, your smile would be off. Fillers can be injected in front of the marionette lines to fill in volume loss and camouflage the indentation in front of the marionette.

Migraines 

This depends on a variety of factors. This is best answered by a neurologist.

Smoker’s Lines  

Similar to the lips, many doctors recommend using lasers or superficial fillers to help with fine lines around the mouth.

Chin

It is not recommended for patients to get Botox in the chin area. Botox around the chin can throw off the smile, as it is a wide muscle. As a result, some areas of the chin may move and other areas may not. If the patient has a lot of wrinkles on their chin, it may be because they have a weak chin and need fillers to build up the bone. 

Neck

The platysmal bands may stick out as you get older. You can check yours by making an exaggerated E sound with your mouth and looking for two lines on your neck. When activated, the muscle protrudes. Injecting Botox helps suck in the muscle and make it look taut. Doctors recommend anywhere between 20 to 60 units. 

Masseter Muscle

The masseter muscle is activated when patients grind or clench teeth. This can result from stress or simply be a bad habit. This may cause soreness in the jaw, lead to temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), or result in a wide look at the bottom of the face. Doctors typically recommend injecting 15-20 units on each side, which can promote a slimmer face and also act as functional relief because it combats symptoms of teeth-grinding or clenching. 

There are many areas that Botox injections can help treat. Patients need to do their research and consult with a doctor who can answer their concerns and questions. The doctor will help the patient come up with a personalized treatment plan to meet their goals. 

Everyone Has Different Needs

The number of units that you will receive will be based on your individual needs. Some patients may need more than the recommended guidelines to treat severe fine lines and wrinkles.

Men tend to have stronger facial muscles; this means that it will take more Botox to penetrate those muscles. A man may need 15 units for each side to help treat crow’s feet. One thing is for sure, no two patients are alike and the units needed will be based on individual needs.

Sometimes Less is More

Your cosmetic provider will work with you to customize a plan that will help you work up to an optimal amount of Botox. It is always best to start low and work your way up. Especially if it is your first time getting Botox treatments. When you come back in for your two-week follow-up appointment more can be added if necessary.

Botox treatment will peak at two weeks, so this is the best time to look at the results that were obtained. It’s easy to add more units, but you cannot take them away once they have been given. Results can last up to three to four months. If too much Botox is given, you would have to wait for it to wear off.  The next time you’re looking for Botox treatments and wondering “How many units of Botox Do I need,” consult a plastic surgeon or an injections specialist.

Where Else Can Botox Be Injected?

• Forehead Lines
• Glabella/Frown Lines
• Crow’s Feet (Lateral Orbital Lines
• Bunny Lines (Transverse nasal)
• Peri-oral Lines (Smoker’s Lines)
• Marionette Lines
• Mentalis Dysfunction (Chin “Dents”)
• Vertical Platysma Bands
• Brow Lift  
• Hyperhydrosis or Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating)

For more information about Botox Treatment Options in Los Angeles, call for an appointment.