how much does botox cost
Photography by Luis Mora

The Best Cosmetic Procedures for Every Budget

How to look great *and* get the most bang for your buck

Aging like J.Lo (that is, apparently not at all) requires a few factors: lucky genes, a smart skincare routine (sunscreen non-negotiable), and of course, more than a few pretty pennies to call in the pros when needed. But while, yes, cosmetic procedures can cost a small fortune, there are options at every budget level, too. We asked two derms to recommend the best bang-for-your-buck treatments for three major concerns, within three different price points. (Caveat: Your final cost will depend on your skin’s condition and where you go, so always book a consultation to get the full picture.)

If you want to spend $500 or less

To smooth wrinkles 

“Great skincare is the basis of improving or preventing wrinkles, but if you wanted to take it one step further, what I call ‘millennial-dose Botox’ could be helpful,” says Dr. Julia Carroll, dermatologist at Toronto’s Compass Dermatology. Botox is often a gateway drug into cosmetic procedures for good reason: It makes a noticeable difference, even in smaller amounts. “We can use it to decrease facial expressions, but not eradicate them. So you can still raise your brows and do everything—just slightly less. This helps prevent lines from getting deeper.”

Estimated cost: $10-$12 per unit of Botox or $300+ per visit, depending on dose.

To fade dark spots

Option one is to invest $500 into skincare, including sunscreen and products with active ingredients to treat hyperpigmentation, recommends Carroll—though it’s not instant gratification, it works. Option two includes non-invasive cosmetic procedures like BroadBand Light (BBL), an intense pulsed light (IPL) device that can target excess pigmentation. “When it hits the target, it sort of microscopically explodes it, then all those brown spots turn more brown and peel off after four to seven days,” says Carroll. “If you combine it with skincare, you can get a great result.”

Estimated cost: $300 per session of BBL.

To curb sagging

Real talk: Successfully treating sagging with a cosmetic procedure under $500 is tough—the results will probably be underwhelming, cautions Carroll. At this budget you’re better off maximizing your topicals (sunscreen, retinol, peptides, hyaluronic acid), which will give you more youthful-looking skin, regardless of a little sag. If you’re dealing with mild skin laxity, you could consider in-office microneedling, says Vancouver-based dermatologist Dr. Monica Li. Multiple sessions may help by stimulating new collagen in the dermis, so the surface of your skin holds up a little better—but manage your expectations.

Estimated cost: upward of $200 per session of in-office microneedling.

 

If you want to spend $1,000 or less

To smooth wrinkles

In addition to shots of a muscle-relaxing neuromodulator (e.g. Botox, Dysport or Xeomin), you could go for a hydrating dermal filler, recommends Li. While most fillers are meant to give volume in areas where you’ve lost collagen, a few (such as Restylane Skinboosters) are designed to amp up hydration, plumping up fine lines. They’re made of a very liquid form of hyaluronic acid—the same ingredient popular in moisturizers for its water-holding powers. “We can inject a small amount near the skin surface, smoothing out any rough texture or even minor depressions,” explains  Li.

Estimated cost: upward of $800 per session of Restylane Skinboosters.

To fade dark spots

“My absolute favourite combination right now is BroadBand Light with the Clear + Brilliant Laser. It’s the power couple,” says Carroll. The BBL will get your red and darker brown spots, while the laser will help with pores, lighter brown spots and even fine lines and texture. It’s a go-to for her busy patients, since they can get both in the same day—then they’re done until they want another treatment (typically six months or a year later). Plus, there’s “really minimal downtime, just a little bit of redness, a little bit of flaky skin,” she adds.

Estimated cost: $300 per session of BBL; $400 per session of Clear + Brilliant.

To curb sagging

You could consider injectable dermal fillers, says Li. These can be made with a variety of ingredients, including hyaluronic acid (temporary, lasting six to 12 months) and poly-L-lactic acid (semi-permanent, up to two years). “They can be used to re-volumize areas where collagen or fat has been lost,” she explains, and they can have a lifting effect depending on where they’re injected. “You can strategically position filler to improve upper and mid-face support, and that way, there’s less sag on the bottom.” 

Estimated cost: $500 to $1,000 per syringe of hyaluronic acid filler (which isn’t a lot—more like a starter treatment, says Li).

 

If you want to spend $5,000 or less

To smooth wrinkles

At this price point, says Carroll, you could afford to take a combination “global approach”—basically, targeting wrinkles in multiple ways at once, which is more effective. Beyond Botox, she’d look at dermal fillers (either the hyaluronic-acid-based kind to get a plumping effect, or the bio-stimulating type to coax your skin into making more of its own collagen), plus a laser treatment such as the Sciton MicroLaser Peel (nicknamed the “weekend peel” since people typically get a few days of mild redness).

Estimated cost: $10-$12 per unit of Botox or $300+ per visit, depending on dose; $500 to $1,000 per syringe of hyaluronic acid filler; about $800 per session of MicroLaser Peel.

To fade dark spots

When treating hyperpigmentation, one procedure probably won’t cut it. But with $5,000, you can afford to do a series of visits, and also a full-face treatment, if needed, says Li. The latter will give a better overall result, since you can deal with any uneven patchiness, and not just target individual spots. As for the specific technology, Li suggests either a non-ablative fractional laser (which works using heat, or thermal energy) or a picosecond laser (which shatters melanin with a “photoacoustic” effect). Either way, “both deliver energy to fragment the pigmentation,” she explains, causing dark spots to lighten or slough off.

Estimated cost: upward of $1,000 per session of non-ablative fractional laser; $500 per session of picosecond laser.

To curb sagging

“To get to the point where you’re sagging, you have to have a significant loss of elasticity and volume,” says Carroll, which is why this skin concern can be a “big-budget item.” Her gold-standard treatment is Ulthera: “It’s microfocused ultrasound, and it’s the only device approved for lifting and tightening.” It can target the skin at different depths, including “acting on the same layer that a plastic surgeon would use when they pull up on a facelift,” Carroll explains. 

Estimated cost: $5,000 per Ulthera (or Ultherapy) treatment; most patients repeat once every two to three years as needed.

 

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