There was a time when Botox was a hush-hush treatment reserved for the rich and famous. This is not the time. It’s not just more celebs and influencers speaking out about getting it these days, but the injectable is much more accessible to us strangers as well. Instead of going the traditional route of seeing a dermatologist or plastic surgeon—and paying at least $300 per appointment—you can now make enticing deals at Botox Target providers if you want: medical spas.
As Sonia Badreshia, MDboard certified dermatologist at Elite MD outside of San Francisco and a member of Skin of Color Society, tells SELF, a medical spa is a specialized facility that offers minimally invasive aesthetic treatments (or “tweaks,” as you may have heard them called). Think of it as a one-stop shop for some of the most popular cosmetic procedures out there, including microneedling, laser hair removal, and, yes, Botox (or botox, if you want to get scientific).
But with so many face-injection horror stories they circulate on social mediayou may be wondering if you’re getting what you pay for—and if going to a medical spa for Botox is a perfectly legitimate way to save a little money or the kind of rookie mistake you’ll regret.
Getting Botox at a medical spa is not the same as going to the doctor’s office.
While spas offer some of the same injectables you might get at a skin or plastic surgeon’s office, there are some key differences between these practices. First, spas are typically staffed by mid-level professionals such as advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and physician assistants (PAs) who hire trained technicians (such as estheticians or registered nurses) to provide esthetics services. David Shafer, MDa board-certified plastic surgeon at the Shafer Clinic in New York, tells SELF.
Many states require a supervising physician to oversee the operation, but one is not always required to be on site, Dr. Shafer says. These doctors may or may not perform the treatments themselves, Marisa Garshick, MDboard-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in New York, tells SELF.
But the biggest difference – and the most attractive – is the cost. Botox for cosmetic reasons isn’t covered by insurance, Dr. Shafer says, and injections typically run between $300-$600 per treatment area, depending on where you go and where you live. On the other hand, spas tend to charge less—around $200-$500 per area, in many cases. In addition, many of them also offer packages or discounts for multiple treatments. As explained by Dr. Badreshia, the main reason these places can afford to offer Botox at a cheaper price is because of the lower costs—specifically, it’s much less expensive to pay estheticians than doctors to administer Botox, he says.
Going to a medical spa can increase your chances of complications.
Botox injections always come with potential risks, no matter where you get them. According to Dr. Garshick, these generally include; bruising and drooping of eyelids or eyebrows, as well as hating the results overall and wishing you’d left your poor little face alone. But getting Botox at a medical spa can increase the chance of these complications—and cause you even more trouble—if the person doing your treatment isn’t properly trained.
