NBC Chicago recently ran a story called The Price of Beauty interviewing the American Medical Spa association and various aesthetics experts around the explosion of medical spas in Chicago and some of the risks that a client can face from going to a less qualified location. Here are the top 3 tips from NBC Chicago's series:
Qualified providers generally charge $13 to $15 per unit of Botox in Chicago. Other neuromodulator such as Xeomin, may cost the same or slightly less. But, if you see advertising for bargain Botox at $6, $7 or $8 per unit, you should ask yourself is this actually Botox, is there risk of counterfeit, how good is this provider who is willing to work for 50% off market rates?
Even qualified providers may need to do touch ups, but a totally botched Botox experience can cost up to $1,500 to fix. There are many areas in life to save money, but getting treatment off a Groupon or online sale may not be the best path for you.
In Illinois, Physicians, Nurse Practitioners and Physicians Assistants can provide Botox. At Pinch, 100% of providers are board certified nurse practitioners with aesthetics training. However, many medical spas have a Medical Director who delegates treatment to a Registered Nurse or Aesthetician who may not have the requisite anatomy, physiology, or aesthetics training to do the job right every time. In fact, according to a study in the Dermatologic Surgery journal reviewing 127 medical spas in Chicago:
At Pinch, we use a new neuromodulator called Xeomin with the same active ingredients as Botox. The advantage of Xeomin is it filters out the unnecessary proteins which can cause a reaction or resistance over time. We offer our Tox for market rate prices and procure our product directly from the manufacturer. Pinch offers touch ups and have clinical support to address any complications that may arise. Most importantly, 100% of Pinch Providers are board certified nurse practitioners with aesthetics training. We'll never send you an aesthetician or registered nurse.