If you are considering getting botox injections to treat your facial and neck wrinkles, then it is essential for you to understand that getting the right dosage is essential for success of the treatment. While everyone these days have heard about the process of treating wrinkles with botulinum toxin, but many people do not really understand how the process works. However, if you are considering botox then it is vital that you understand how the toxin is reconstituted and what that means for your treatment's success.



Botulinum Toxin Reconstitution

Botox is shipped as a dry substance in 100 unit vials from its vendor Allergan to every plastic surgery practice using it today. To the 100 unit vial of dry botulinum, saline solution is added to reconstitute the Botox and allow it to be injected into the human body. The amount of saline solution added to the vial directly correlates to the resulting strength of the injection you receive. This means that if your plastic surgeon adds more saline to the bottle then the resulting injection will be weaker than if they added less saline solution.

The guidelines on reconstitution as stated by the American Society of Plastic Surgery assures efficacy of the product.

All Botox is Not Created Equal

Due to the fact that your physician reconstitutes the botox before injecting it, you need to understand that all injections are not created equal. Depending on the amount of saline added to the vial of botulinum toxin, the strength of the injection will vary. Because of this, you should always ask how much actual botox is going to be injected into your body. Just because the syringe is very full doesn't in fact mean that you are getting a large dosage. It can simply mean that you are getting more saline injected. If you see your physician injecting a large amount, do not confuse the units of saline with the units of actual botox.

If you see an advertisement for a very low cost injection, the reason for this may simply be that the clinic is diluting their botulinum vials with more saline than normal to make the cost of an injection lower. It's extremely important to be cautious when practices offer this treatment at bargain prices. However, the end result of the treatment for you will not be as satisfactory because you are actually receiving less botox than you believe that you are.

The Recommended Dosages

The recommended dosages of botulinum are set by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons to be the following:

* Forehead Lines - 15-20 Units

* Glabellar Area - 20-30 Units

* Crow's Feet - 8-16 Units per Side

* Perioral Area - 4-10 Units Total

* Dimpled Chin - 2-6 Units

Questions to Ask Your Plastic Surgeon

When you are considering botox you should ask your plastic surgeon what their reconstitution ratio is and how much actual active ingredient will be injected into your body. By comparing this amount to those listed above you can ensure the best outcome possible for your treatment.

Be aware and well-informed about what exactly is used in your treatment and the dosage levels irrespective of the fact that whether the surgeon administering your treatment is qualified and experienced or not. It will ensure you the best results as expected from the procedure.