Injectables
Neurotoxin injections
Small doses of botulinum toxin type A relax the muscles behind expression lines on the forehead, between the brows and at the corners of the eyes.
$13
per unit
Includes the injection, numbing ice, and a follow-up check at two weeks. Sample prices, demo site.
How it works
Lines on the upper face mostly come from movement: frowning, raising the brows, smiling with the eyes. A neurotoxin blocks the signal from nerve to muscle in the spot where it is placed, so that one muscle moves less. The change shows over about a week and is gradual. How much movement is kept is a choice you make with your injector before the first needle, and the dose is written in your chart so the next visit starts from a known point.
Who does it
Our nurse practitioner or our medical director. Every first visit starts with a medical exam.
Time and sessions
Each session: 20-30 minutes.
One visit. The effect wears off over time, and most people who continue come back every three to four months.
Downtime
Most people go back to work the same day. Stay upright for four hours and skip hard exercise until the next day.
Common side effects
- Small bruises or bumps at the injection points for a day or two
- A mild headache
- Uncommon: a temporary droop of the eyelid or brow, which fades as the product wears off
Who should wait or skip it
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding
- You have a neuromuscular condition such as myasthenia gravis
- There is an infection or rash where the injection would go
Alternatives
- A prescription retinoid and daily sunscreen for fine lines
- Microneedling for lines in the texture of the skin rather than from movement
- Doing nothing: expression lines are not a medical problem
Charged per unit used. Most foreheads take 10-20 units, frown lines 15-25, crow's feet 8-12 per side. The number is agreed at your exam before anything is injected.
Results vary from person to person, and nothing on this page is a promise of a particular result.