DO I NEED BOTOX? AND HOW MUCH?
Probably the two questions I’m asked most. Neither has a one-size-fits-all answer.
“Do I need Botox?”
Usually followed very quickly by:
“And how many units?”
Here’s the problem.
I can’t answer either question properly without looking at your face.
Not because Botox is complicated. Because faces are.
Your friend may get 40 units and love her result. Someone else may need more. Someone else may need less.
And you may not need Botox at all.
FIRST: DO YOU ACTUALLY NEED IT?
Botox® and other neuromodulators temporarily reduce activity in targeted muscles.
That can soften expression lines, reduce certain muscular pulls and, in the right places, subtly change the way the face rests or moves.
But seeing a line doesn’t automatically mean it needs treating.
When I assess a face, I’m looking at movement.
What happens when you frown?
How strongly does your forehead recruit?
What happens to the brow when those muscles move?
How does the lower face pull?
What happens at rest?
I’m not counting wrinkles. I’m watching the face work.
That’s what determines whether a neuromodulator makes sense.
SO, HOW MANY UNITS?
There is no magic number.
And this is probably one of the biggest misconceptions around Botox.
People compare units as though they’re comparing shoe sizes.
“My friend only gets 20.”
“Another clinic told me I need 50.”
“Is 40 too much?”
Without context, those numbers tell me almost nothing.
Dose can depend on the treatment area, your anatomy, muscle strength, movement patterns, previous treatment, desired result—and even which neuromodulator is being used, because units are not interchangeable between products.
A unit count isn’t a treatment plan.
LESS ISN’T AUTOMATICALLY MORE NATURAL.
This one may be controversial.
We’ve spent years hearing less is more in aesthetics.
Sometimes it is.
But under-dosing a muscle simply for the sake of saying fewer units were used doesn’t automatically create a beautiful, natural result.
Neither does using more.
The goal is an appropriate dose, placed appropriately, for the face in front of me.
Natural Botox isn’t defined by the smallest number of units.
It’s defined by the result.
WILL I LOOK FROZEN?
You shouldn’t have to choose between every line on your forehead and a face that no longer looks like yours.
For many clients, the goal isn’t complete immobility.
It’s softer movement.
A more rested appearance.
Expression that still belongs to you.
That requires understanding how the muscles of the face work together—not simply injecting every line that appears.
Because sometimes eliminating one movement changes another.
The face works as a whole. It should be treated like one.
WHAT IF I’VE NEVER HAD BOTOX BEFORE?
Then I want to know what bothers you before I tell you what I’d treat.
You don’t need to arrive knowing which muscles need injecting.
You don’t need to know how many units you want.
And you certainly don’t need to order Botox from a treatment menu.
Tell me what you’re noticing.
Tell me what you don’t want.
Tell me what you’re afraid of looking like.
That’s much more useful to me than a unit number.
AND THEN WE WAIT.
Neuromodulators aren’t instant.
The effect develops gradually, which is why I prefer to assess my patients at 14–16 days, once the treatment has had time to settle.
That’s when we look again.
Movement.
Balance.
Symmetry.
And whether anything actually needs refining.
Before that?
We let it work.
SO, DO YOU NEED BOTOX?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
The better question is whether something you’re seeing can genuinely be improved with a neuromodulator—and whether treating it will still allow your face to feel like yours.
And how much do you need?
Enough to achieve the result. Not enough to chase a number.
That’s the difference between buying Botox and having your face treated.