How Much Is Botox?

Botox Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA) is FDA approved for adults 18 and older to temporarily help smooth facial wrinkles such as frown lines, forehead lines, and crow’s feet. Botox is also FDA approved to treat 12 medical conditions, including migraines and excessive sweating. Other brand names that use similar active ingredients include Dysport (abobotulinumtoxinA), Xeomin (incobotulinumtoxinA), and Jeuveau (prabotulinumtoxinA-xvfs).

Botox is one of the most popular minimally invasive cosmetic procedures in the U.S. In 2022, about 8.7 million people received injections, and more than half of those individuals were 40 to 54 years old.

The cost of Botox will vary depending on how many units you need and the type of medical professional giving the injections. If you’re getting Botox for medical reasons, your insurance plan is more likely to cover some of the cost.

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How much does Botox treatment cost?

The average healthcare professional fee for Botox and its three competitors is $528, according to 2022 statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Healthcare professionals have some freedom in setting their prices, an ASPS spokesperson told GoodRx Health by email. So be sure to ask your professional how Botox is priced — especially if it’s presented as a package.

The top factors affecting the cost of Botox include:

• The number of units you get: Botox is priced per unit, not per injection. The more units you get, the more you will pay.

• Where you get it done: Cost of living can be a factor in Botox injection costs. You may be able to save money by calling around for pricing or looking into other areas for treatments.

• Savings programs offered by your medical team: You may be able to save money on Botox by checking with your healthcare professional’s office to see whether they have promotions on injections.

• Manufacturer offers: Jeuveau, for example, has a discount offer. Botox Cosmetic and Dysport offer rewards programs while Xeomin has a loyalty program.

• The type of professional doing the injections: State laws vary regarding which types of healthcare professionals can administer injections. These professionals may include licensed physicians, surgeons, and dentists.

“Family physicians will typically charge less than a board-certified plastic surgeon or a dermatologist, as they have not trained for years in the field of aesthetics,” George Bitar, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Washington D.C., said in an email to GoodRx Health.

“The laws [on who can give Botox injections] are constantly changing, so the best way to get up-to-date information is to contact the medical board of an individual's state,” Bitar added.

How much is Botox per unit?

On average, a single unit of Botox costs around $10 to $15, but it can be as much as $35 in major cities. Since an average treatment can include 30 to 40 units, your costs can run anywhere from $300 to $1,400.

For instance, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills charges $15 to $25 per Botox unit. In New York City, prices can range from $20 to $35 per Botox unit. Meanwhile, a med spa in Minnesota charges $14 per Botox unit, and a Texas practice charges $12 per unit.

Dysport tends to cost less per unit compared to Botox. But people often need more of it, so the cost is about the same as Botox injections. 

To better estimate the cost of Botox, ask your healthcare professional how many units they anticipate using.

Keep in mind: These prices don’t reflect any additional fees the healthcare professional may charge.

How much does a 50-unit vial of Botox cost?

It depends on the price of the Botox unit. In the examples above, a 50-unit vial would cost between $1,000 and $1,750 in New York City. At the Texas practice, you’d pay $600 for a 50-unit vial.

How much is Botox for your forehead?

As discussed earlier, it depends on how many Botox units are used. In the examples above, the Beverly Hills plastic surgeon uses 12 to 20 units on forehead wrinkles, so a treatment could cost from $180 to $500. 

In contrast, glabellar lines (wrinkles between the eyes) can take up to 40 units, which would bump up the cost to as much as $1,000 per treatment at the same facility. 

Here are the estimated Botox units for other body locations:

• Eyebrows: 4 to 8 units

• Crow’s feet: 12 to 24 units

• Nose: 5 units

Another factor in Botox units used is biological sex. Men typically need slightly more units to achieve the same effect compared with women because they typically have more muscle mass.

Why doesn’t insurance cover the cost of Botox treatments?

Insurance companies won’t cover Botox treatments for cosmetic purposes or other cosmetic procedures, including cosmetic surgery. But your health plan may cover Botox for a host of chronic conditions when it is medically necessary.

Botox is FDA approved to treat 12 conditions, including:

• Chronic migraine

• Overactive bladder

• Incontinence due to overactive bladder caused by a neurological condition

• Upper- and lower-limb stiffness (spasticity)

• Neck spasms (cervical dystonia)

• Severe underarm sweating (hyperhidrosis)

• Crossed eyes (strabismus) or involuntary eye movements (blepharospasm)

In the case of using Botox for migraines, your insurer may only grant coverage if you’ve been unsuccessful with other treatments. Your health plan may ask your prescriber to submit a prior authorization form.

Does Botox wear off over time?

Yes. When estimating Botox costs, remember that you’ll need to continue getting injections over time if you want to maintain the results.

How long does Botox last the first time?

The effects of Botox typically last 3 to 4 months, but results vary. First-time injections can wear off in less than 3 months.

What happens if I stop keeping up with Botox maintenance?

Wrinkles return over time when you stop using Botox. However, some research that suggests prolonged use of Botox may prevent further wrinkles.

Is there a less expensive alternative to Botox with similar effectiveness in reducing the signs of aging?

Before you open your wallet, you may want to try certain facial muscle exercises (sometimes called “face yoga”). Some research suggests specific face workouts may improve tone, but some experts say more movement doesn’t really help.

One relatively newer injectable, Xeomin, contains incobotulinumtoxinA (a similar active ingredient to what’s in Botox). It costs about the same as or slightly less than Botox. 

Xeomin doesn’t have the additives that can sometimes cause people to become resistant to Botox’s effects over time. It also doesn’t require refrigeration and lasts much longer than Botox after it’s produced. Its stability and longer shelf life can potentially help you save money.

But before jumping on board, you should compare both products’ side effects and discuss them with your healthcare professional.

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Written by:

Kristen Fischer

Kristen Fischer is a health writer, copywriter, and journalist with more than 15 years of experience. She currently lives at the Jersey Shore and is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists.

Edited by:

Charlene Rhinehart, CPA

Charlene Rhinehart, CPA, is a personal finance editor at GoodRx. She has been a certified public accountant for over a decade.

Reviewed by:

Christina Aungst, PharmD

Christina Aungst, PharmD, is a pharmacy editor for GoodRx. She began writing for GoodRx Health in 2019, transitioning from freelance writer to editor in 2021.

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