Botox injections

Botox in Turkey: an honest first word

Botox is the most widely known brand name of botulinum toxin type A, a medicine injected in tiny doses to relax specific muscles. Cosmetically it softens the lines that come from movement — frown lines between the eyebrows, forehead lines and crow's feet — and medically it is used for heavy sweating, chronic migraine and teeth grinding — masseter botox in the jaw muscle also slims a square jaw. Botox in Turkey is widely available and the price per area is usually lower than in the UK or Western Europe.

Travelling only for botox rarely makes sense, though. The treatment takes about fifteen minutes, costs a few hundred euros or pounds, and wears off after three to four months. The saving is usually smaller than a flight, a review two weeks later is part of good practice, and if a side effect appears you want the doctor who treated you within reach. It is worth considering when you are in Turkey anyway — for an operation such as a facelift, eyelid surgery or a nose job, dental treatment or a hair transplant — or if you live there or visit often. All injection treatments are grouped under non-surgical aesthetics.

Botulinum toxin is a prescription medicine. It should be prescribed after a face-to-face assessment and injected by a doctor, in a hospital or medical clinic. The doctors on this page can tell you whether botox fits what you want to change.

Ask a doctor about botox

What botox treats

• Frown lines (glabellar lines) between the eyebrows — the most studied and most common cosmetic use.
• Forehead lines — horizontal lines when you raise your eyebrows. Treated carefully together with the frown area so that the brows do not drop; see botox for forehead lines.
• Crow's feet at the outer corners of the eyes.
• Under the eyes — small doses for fine lines when smiling; demanding and not for everyone, see botox under eyes.
• Jaw (masseter botox) — slims a square jaw and reduces clenching and teeth grinding.
• Lower face and neck — a "lip flip", a gummy smile, downturned mouth corners, neck bands.
• Heavy sweating (hyperhidrosis) of the armpits, palms or feet.
• Chronic migraine — a licensed medical use, recommended in the UK by NICE for adults with chronic migraine when several preventive medicines have not helped.

Botox does not fill hollows or lift loose skin. Lines that are visible at rest, lost volume and sagging need other treatments — see botox vs filler below.

How many units of botox per area, from forehead to masseter botox?

Botox is dosed in units. How many units of botox you need depends on the area, the strength of your muscles and the product — units of different brands are not interchangeable (Dysport units, for example, are not the same as Botox units). The figures below are typical ranges for Botox-type products; the licensed doses come from the product information.

"Baby botox" means smaller doses spread over more points, for a lighter effect where some movement remains. It looks more natural to many people but usually wears off sooner.

How long does botox last? Face, masseter botox and sweating

The effect starts after about two to five days and is fully visible after about two weeks — the right moment for a review and, if needed, a small correction. How long does botox last? Usually about three to four months in the face; some people find it lasts longer after several treatments, and masseter and sweating treatments often last longer, around four to six months or more. Then the muscle gradually recovers and the lines return; nothing is permanently changed.

This short duration is the practical problem with travelling for it: you will need the next treatment about three months later, most likely at home. Ask for the product name, batch number and the units injected in each area to be written in your notes, so that your next doctor can continue.

Botox Turkey price compared with the UK, the US and Germany

There is no fixed hospital price for botox on our site, because the cost depends on the areas and units. The ranges below are approximate, confirmed in a written quote:

The botox Turkey price difference is real but modest in absolute terms, and it is lost if you need to fly back for a correction. Check whether the two-week review is included and whether the price is per area or per unit. A price per unit far below the market usually means a problem with the product.

Get a written botox quote

The treatment step by step

A botox appointment begins with a consultation: the doctor asks about your health, medicines, pregnancy and previous injections, watches how your face moves when you frown, raise your brows and smile, and agrees with you which areas to treat and how strong the effect should be. Photos are taken at rest and in movement. The product is prepared from a sealed vial, and the injections themselves — a few tiny pricks per area with a very fine needle — take about ten to fifteen minutes. Numbing cream is rarely needed.

For the rest of the day, avoid lying flat for about four hours, rubbing or massaging the treated areas, heavy exercise, saunas and alcohol. Make-up can usually be applied the same evening. You can return to work straight away; small bumps at the injection points disappear within an hour or so.

Botox side effects

Most botox side effects are mild and temporary: small bruises, redness or swelling at the injection points, and a headache in the first day or two. The product information lists a drooping eyelid or eyebrow as a recognised side effect when the toxin affects a nearby muscle; it is temporary and wears off over weeks, and good technique makes it less likely. Other possible effects are an asymmetric or "frozen" look, a heavy forehead, and, after lower-face treatment, difficulty with drinking or pronouncing some sounds.

Serious effects are rare at cosmetic doses, but the product information for all botulinum toxins warns that the effect can spread beyond the injection area and cause muscle weakness, difficulty swallowing or breathing; these need urgent medical help. Counterfeit products are a real danger: in 2024 the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a cluster of people who became ill, some with botulism-like symptoms, after injections with counterfeit or mishandled botulinum toxin given by unlicensed people or in non-medical settings. That is the strongest argument for a doctor, a medical setting and a product box you can see.

Who should not get botox

• People who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• People with neuromuscular diseases such as myasthenia gravis or Lambert-Eaton syndrome, or with swallowing or breathing problems.
• People with an infection or inflamed skin at the injection site.
• People with a known allergy to botulinum toxin or to any ingredient of the product.
• People taking certain medicines that interact with it, such as aminoglycoside antibiotics — always tell the doctor about all medicines.
• People under 18 for cosmetic reasons (in the UK this is illegal), and anyone with unrealistic expectations or body dysmorphic concerns.

Who should not get botox also includes anyone who cannot be reviewed after two weeks or reached if a problem occurs — another reason not to book it as a single-day trip.

Botox vs filler, and combining with other treatment

Botox vs filler is a common question: botox relaxes muscles and softens lines that come from movement; fillers add volume to lips, cheeks and folds. Lines visible at rest often need both, or skin treatments. For hooded eyelids or sagging, botox cannot replace surgery — a brow lift or eyelid surgery does that.

If you are travelling for an operation, botox can be planned around it: some surgeons give it a few weeks before a face operation, others after healing — never in an area that is still swollen. The doctor decides the timing.

Choosing where to have botox in Turkey

For botox in Turkey, choose a doctor — dermatologist, plastic surgeon or another doctor trained in facial injections — in a hospital or medical clinic, not a salon or a hotel room. Ask to see the sealed product box and its batch number, ask how many units will be used in each area, and agree the review appointment before you pay. Our article on how to choose a safe surgeon in Turkey covers checking a doctor's registration.

If you are planning other treatment in Turkey, tell us what you are coming for and which areas you would like treated with botox. A doctor will advise what can be combined on the same trip and confirm the product, units and price in writing.

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Hospitals with Plastic & Aesthetic Surgery in Turkey

Academic Hospital

Üsküdar, Istanbul

MoHHealth Tourism Licence+2

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Lokman Hekim Istanbul Hospital

Pendik, Istanbul

JCIMoH+2

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Frequently asked questions