How Many Botox Units Do You Need?

A question I often get is how many units of Botox does a client need to achieve their desired result? As with most things in the medical industry, the answer is a frustration-inducing “it depends.” Every person is unique with their own needs, wants, and insecurities so every treatment is tailored specifically for that individual. The number of units required depends on the areas treated, the strength of the muscles in those areas, the desired result, and whether the individual is a male or female, among other considerations like activity level and age. As most providers typically charge by the unit, it would be good for the client to have an idea what their treatment price is going to be before they arrive at the clinic. In this article, I will discuss factors that I consider when deciding on the number of Botox units required, as well as list the usual range of units required per area of treatment so those of you considering treatment can have a rough idea of what to expect before plopping your bottoms down on our comfy treatment chair.

If a person wants more areas treated, then the number of Botox units required will naturally go up. If the muscles in the areas to be treated are very expressive (ie. Strong) then more units will be required compared to a less expressive person. Some people prefer to have more movement in the treated areas while minimizing the creases formed by those expressions while others want to minimize movement as much as possible. In this case, the latter will require more units than the former. Males usually have stronger facial muscles so generally require more units of Botox than their female counterparts. I’m usually more conservative when it comes to treating older individuals as they have a higher chance of side effects, especially when treating areas like the forehead as the risk for dropping a brow is higher than for younger individuals. Lastly, more active individuals will typically require more units as having a higher metabolism may cause you to metabolize the botulinum toxin faster, thereby having a shorter duration of effect.

When putting together a treatment plan, the client and I would sit down to have a conversation, considering all the above factors to come up with a treatment plan tailored specifically for that individual.Consider this example: a female in her late 30’s, very active, moderately expressive facial movement, and wants to retain as much movement as possible in her face while minimizing line formation. Since she is very active, we would normally lean towards a higher Botox dose but as she wants to retain maximum facial movement, we would go with a lower to moderate dose. We can achieve her desired result with the caveat that she would likely need to come back more often for touch-ups as she will likely metabolize her treatment faster. There are usually trade-offs which is why it’s so important for you and your injector to have a thorough discussion about your goals before moving ahead with treatment. Hell, you may walk away from the consult with a decision that you don’t need treatment at all which is ok too!  

I’ve included two diagrams below of the most common treatment areas and the range of Botox units typically required for both males and females.

Females:

• Glabella (16-26)
• Frontalis (5-18 Units)
• Crow’s Feet (4-12 Units per side)
• Upper Lip (4-6 Units)
• LLSAN (2-3 units per side)
• Mentalis (4-6 Units)

Males:

• Glabella (16-30 Units)
• Frontalis (8-18 Units)
• Crow’s Feet (4-12 Units per side)
• LLSAN  (2-3Units per side)