How Many Units of "Tox" Do I Need?

This is a question we hear a lot.

And we’re always happy to break it down for you.

Everyone is unique – and so are their Tox requirements.

The clinical studies that were completed by each of the companies that own the 4 popular neurotoxins on the market have demonstrated approximately 20 units are needed in the glabella or the area between the eyebrows. This is often referred to as the frown or “11 lines/elevens.” In the world of Dysport, 3 units are needed for every 1 unit of Botox, Jeuveau, or Xeomin. So that would be 60 units to treat this area. (We do the math for you at The MAC to keep things simple.) In Botox clinical trials, the FDA recommended dose for forehead lines was 20 units and the “crow’s feet” required 12 units per eye. So 20 + 20+ 12 + 12 = 64 units of neurotoxin! 

Keep in mind that these studies were performed on thousands of patients with moderate to severe wrinkles, and this was the dosage required to achieve approximately 90 days of longevity.

The good news: We do not use 64 units on all of our patients! A great way to estimate the dosage that you will require is to say 10 units for every decade of life. So 20 units for a 20-year-old, 30 units for a 30-year-old, etc. But remember, this is not a guaranteed estimate! Your provider will carefully assess your muscle movement and will determine the best dose that will be both safe and effective for you. We can always add more, but WE CANNOT take it out! This is why we ask that you contact the office 10-14 days after your treatment if you still have more movement than you would like. 

Realistic expectations are also incredibly important with neurotoxin injections.

You will NOT be frozen for 90 days. Your neurotoxin will kick in between 2 and 14 days post-treatment with full results visible by day 14. If a touch up is needed, we want to do this by the 14th day, to minimize the risk of developing neutralizing antibodies which could render your neurotoxin ineffective or cause you to need increased dosages in the future. After the 14th day, we do not retreat until the 90-day mark. Again, this is for your safety. Your neurotoxin activity will be at its peak for the next 2-6 weeks. Around week 8 you will begin to notice movement slowly returning. By 12 weeks, it will likely be time for re-treatment. 

There are some patients who can go longer than 90 days. However, this isn’t the case for everyone.

We recommend staying on top of your first several treatments to effectively weaken the muscle before attempting to push your re-treatment out any further. On average, our 30-40-year-old patients treat between 90 and 120 days with about 40-50 units when treating all 3 upper face areas including the forehead, frown, and “crow’s feet.” We customize each treatment to your unique facial features. No cookie-cutter injection patterns here!

To learn more about how many units of Tox you will need, we’d love to welcome you in for a consultation.