How Many Units of Botox Do You Need? Forehead, 11s, Crow’s Feet and More

Botox Guide

Portland, OR · November 8, 2026

By Cosmetiq Medicine · 9 min read

How many units of Botox you need depends on the area, and for the four approved areas the FDA label gives an exact starting dose: 20 units for frown lines, 24 for crow’s feet, 40 for the forehead with frown lines, and 26 to 36 for neck bands. This guide walks through each area, the off-label ones people ask about most, and what those units cost in Portland and Vancouver, WA.

How many units of Botox do most people need?

For a first treatment of the most common areas, the labeled doses add up to 20 units for frown lines alone, 40 units for the forehead with frown lines, and 64 units for the full upper face. Those figures come from the BOTOX Cosmetic prescribing information and are the reference point injectors adjust from.

Units are a measure of biological activity, not volume. Botox Cosmetic comes in 50-unit and 100-unit vials and is diluted so that a standard 0.1 mL injection carries 4 units. That is why labeled doses come in multiples of 4: five points of 4 units for the frown lines, three points of 4 units on each side for crow’s feet.

Your own number can differ from the label because muscle strength, the depth of your lines and the look you want all vary. A good consultation explains where the units go and why, and gives you the total before treatment starts.

How many units of Botox for the forehead?

The FDA label doses forehead lines at 20 units across five points in the frontalis muscle, and it labels them to be treated together with the frown lines at another 20 units. That makes 40 units the labeled forehead treatment.

The pairing is deliberate. The forehead muscle raises the brows, and the label studies treated it alongside the muscles that pull the brows down and together. In those studies the most frequently reported adverse reactions with the 40-unit dose were headache (9%), brow ptosis (2%) and eyelid ptosis (2%), according to the prescribing information.

How many units of Botox for 11 lines and frown lines?

The 11 lines between the brows are labeled at 20 units: 4 units into each of five points, two in each corrugator muscle and one in the procerus.

At Cosmetiq Medicine that is $240 at the regular price, $220 for Glow members and $200 for Elite members. If you are comparing toxins, note that the label states Botox units cannot be compared to or converted into units of other botulinum toxin products. Our guide to Botox vs Dysport explains why a Dysport quote uses different numbers.

How many units of Botox for crow’s feet?

Crow’s feet are labeled at 24 units, given as 4 units into three points on each side, or 12 units per eye. Treated together with frown lines the labeled total is 44 units, and with the forehead added it is 64 units.

In the label, eyelid edema (1%) was the most frequently reported adverse reaction for crow’s feet treatment.

How many units of Botox for neck bands?

Neck bands are labeled at 26, 31 or 36 units depending on how many bands you have. Every dose includes 16 units along the jawline (2 units at four points per side) plus 1 unit at five points along each vertical band. The FDA approved this use on October 18, 2024.

One band on each side totals 26 units, one band on one side and two on the other totals 31, and two bands on each side totals 36. At $12 a unit that is $312 to $432.

How many units of Botox for the masseter and jaw slimming?

Masseter treatment is off-label, so there is no FDA dose. A 2025 review in the journal Toxins reports that recommendations most commonly use 24 to 60 units of onabotulinumtoxinA in total, and a 2023 review of studies in Asian patients found 10 to 45 units per side.

The Toxins review by Ferrillo and colleagues also notes that a single higher-dose point is faster but may give uneven reduction, which is why multi-point technique is common. The review of masseter prominence studies adds that a larger or thicker side is usually treated with more units. Because this is off-label, your injector explains the evidence and risks before suggesting a dose.

How many units of Botox for a lip flip?

A lip flip is also off-label. A 2026 prospective study in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery treated 17 women with 4 units of onabotulinumtoxinA in the upper lip, and Cleveland Clinic describes about 2 to 4 units in the upper lip and 2 in the lower.

The 2026 study concluded that the lip flip projects the upper lip by relaxing muscle, not by adding volume, which is why it is often compared with filler. A 2025 systematic review in the Archives of Dermatological Research covers the technique and outcomes reported so far, and Cleveland Clinic summarizes the typical approach. If you want added volume rather than a subtle roll, lip filler in Portland is the treatment to compare.

How much do Botox units cost in Portland?

At Cosmetiq Medicine, Botox is $12 a unit, $11 for Glow members and $10 for Elite members, at both the Portland and Vancouver, WA clinics. Labeled frown lines cost $240, the forehead with frown lines $480, and the full upper face $768 at the regular price.

Pricing by the unit means you pay for what your muscles need, not a flat area fee. See Botox in Portland for booking and the full treatment page, the Portland med spa price list for every service, and our current Botox specials for limited-time offers. If you are in Clark County, the Botox in Vancouver, WA page has the same unit pricing. Our guide to judging cheap Botox offers explains why a low per-unit price can still mean a higher total.

How long does each Botox treatment last?

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, most people see results within 3 to 7 days, and the improvement lasts about 3 to 4 months, sometimes longer. The units you receive, the area and your muscles all influence how long your result holds.

Our article on how long Botox lasts covers what affects duration in more detail. If you treat regularly, an Elite or Glow membership lowers every future unit.

What to ask at your Botox consultation

• How many units are you recommending for each area, and how does that compare with the labeled dose?
• Is any area you are suggesting off-label, and what is the evidence for it?
• What is my total before we start, and will I pay for a touch-up?
• Which product are you using, and why that one for my muscles?
• What side effects should I watch for, and how do I reach you afterward?

Botox units FAQ

The bottom line

The FDA label gives clear starting doses: 20 units for frown lines, 24 for crow’s feet, 40 for the forehead with frown lines, 64 for all three and 26 to 36 for neck bands. Off-label areas like the masseter and lip flip rely on published studies and your injector’s assessment. At our Portland med spa and Vancouver, WA clinic, you get the unit count and total before treatment begins.

This article is for general education and is not medical advice. BOTOX Cosmetic is FDA-approved for frown lines, crow’s feet, forehead lines and platysma bands; other uses are off-label. Treatment suitability and dosing are determined at an in-person consultation. Individual results vary.