Best Syringes for Botox: How to Choose by Size, Gauge and Markings

Choosing among the syringes for Botox we stock comes down to three listed specs: capacity, needle gauge and unit markings.

This guide sets six ultra-fine insulin syringes from TRUEplus, BD-Embecta and VelaFine side by side, so you can match each spec to what your practice needs.

What Syringes Are Used for Botox?

The syringes we stock for neurotoxin work are ultra-fine insulin syringes, selected for botulinum toxin reconstitution and injection.

An insulin syringe is a sterile, single-use device with a fixed thin-gauge needle and unit markings printed on a narrow barrel. The range has six syringes: five 31G syringes (TRUEplus 0.3 cc, 0.5 cc and 1.0 cc, and BD-Embecta 0.3 cc and 0.5 cc) and one 32G syringe (VelaFine 0.3 cc).

Below you will find the six side by side, then what capacity, markings and gauge each tell you.

The Six Syringes Compared

Here is every syringe in the range, using only the specs on each listing or box.

Which Syringe Size: 0.3 cc, 0.5 cc or 1.0 cc?

Choose the capacity by the largest volume you draw up: on the U-100 scale, 0.3 cc measures up to 30 units, 0.5 cc up to 50 units, and the 1.0 cc barrel is numbered to 100 units.

The 0.3 cc barrel is narrow, which spreads the unit markings out so a small dose stays easy to read. Three syringes come in 0.3 cc: the BD-Embecta 0.3 cc 31G syringe with 1/2 unit markings, the TRUEplus 0.3 cc 31G syringes and the VelaFine 0.3 cc 32G syringe.

The 0.5 cc is the mid-size barrel, available as BD-Embecta 0.5 cc 31G syringes or TRUEplus 0.5 cc 31G syringes.

The 1.0 cc is the larger barrel for higher volumes, available as TRUEplus 1.0 cc 31G syringes.

What Do 1/2 Unit Markings Change?

On the BD-Embecta 0.3 cc, 1/2 unit markings divide the barrel into half-unit increments instead of whole-unit steps only.

The listing says this lets you dose small amounts more precisely than whole-unit syringes. The box shows both a half-unit and a whole-unit scale. The BD-Embecta 0.3 cc 31G syringe with 1/2 unit markings is the only syringe in the range listed with them.

What Do the Unit Markings Measure?

The unit markings measure volume on the U-100 scale, where 100 units equal 1 mL.

That makes one unit mark 0.01 mL and a 1/2 unit mark 0.005 mL. The unit marks measure volume, not units of neurotoxin. How many units sit behind each mark depends on how the vial was reconstituted, so work that out from the product's prescribing information before you draw up.

31G or 32G Needle?

The range has two needle gauges, 31G and 32G, and the higher number is the thinner needle.

Five of the six syringes are 31G. The VelaFine 0.3 cc is the one 32G syringe, so its needle is thinner than the 31G needles. The BD-Embecta and VelaFine listings give an 8 mm needle length. The TRUEplus listings give no needle length, so this guide does not state one.

TRUEplus vs BD-Embecta vs VelaFine

The three brands differ in listed construction, markings and pack.

• TRUEplus (0.3 cc, 0.5 cc, 1.0 cc): a 31 gauge silicone-coated stainless steel needle on a single-use disposable unibody, so needle and barrel form one piece. It is capped at both the plunger and the tip, and the box states large clear unit markings. Each box holds 100 syringes in 10 packs of 10.
• BD-Embecta (0.3 cc, 0.5 cc): a 31G ultra-fine needle, 8 mm long. The 0.3 cc adds 1/2 unit markings and comes as 100 syringes in 10 packs. The 0.5 cc comes as 90 syringes in 9 packs of 10, with no 1/2 unit markings listed.
• VelaFine (0.3 cc): a 32G, 8 mm needle, sterile, single use and individually wrapped, 100 per box. The listing says it is not made with natural rubber latex.

Single Use and Disposal

Every syringe in the range is single-use.

Place used syringes in a sharps disposal container and discard them according to local medical waste guidelines.

Key Takeaways

• Capacity on the U-100 scale: 0.3 cc measures up to 30 units, 0.5 cc up to 50 units, and 1.0 cc is numbered to 100 units.
• The BD-Embecta 0.3 cc is the only syringe in the range listed with 1/2 unit markings.
• One unit mark is 0.01 mL. The marks measure volume, not units of neurotoxin, so check the product's prescribing information for your reconstitution.
• Five syringes are 31G and one is 32G. The higher gauge is the thinner needle.
• TRUEplus listings give no needle length. BD-Embecta and VelaFine list 8 mm.
• All six are single-use. Discard them in a sharps container per local medical waste guidelines.

Related Resources

• Syringes for Botox: the full range of syringes, hypodermic needles and adapters.
• Facial Neuromodulator Injections Course: an online training program in facial neuromodulator treatments such as Botox.

Have a question about which syringe fits your protocol? Contact us, or go straight to the syringes for Botox.