> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://beyond-borders-1.ghost.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Botox for Half Price. A Laser Facial for $595. The Tijuana Beauty Run - URL: https://beyond-borders-1.ghost.io/botox-for-half-price-a-laser-facial-for-595-the-tijuana-beauty-run/ - Published: 2026-10-23T11:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T10:59:59.000Z - Description: Women from Mississippi to Southern California are crossing into Tijuana for Botox, lasers and facials at half the US price. Here’s what it costs, and what to check first. - Author: Beyond Borders | Tijuana Botox US to Korea Complications $5–6 173K 5% per unit patients, 2025 CDC survey | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Beauty Abroad San Diego, California. A group of women set out for the border this month, and a CBS News crew went along. They’d come from Mississippi, South Carolina, and all over Southern California. The destination was Lipo Tijuana VIP, a medical spa a short drive into Mexico that sells Botox, lasers, and facials to American customers. Shannon Watson had come the farthest. Asked whether she could afford the same treatments back home in Mississippi, she said definitely not. Even after airfare and a hotel, the trip still came out cheaper. Her family wasn’t sold on the plan. “They thought I was crazy.” — Shannon Watson, Mississippi, via CBS News Los Angeles She says she’d go back… and bring her daughter next time. Diane Way, who came down from Lake Elsinore, was already thinking about returning for a procedure to remove loose skin. So what does Tijuana actually charge? Botox runs $5 to $6 a unit there, against $10 to $12 in the US. A CO2 laser for the face, neck, and chest is $595, compared with an estimated $1,200 to $1,500 in Los Angeles. Botox and more: Los Angeles vs. Tijuana $10–12 vs. $5–6 Botox per unit, LA area Botox per unit, Tijuana Dysport, 50 units $450 → $250 Sculptra, per vial $800–950 → $585 CO2 laser, face, neck and chest $1,200–1,500 → $595 HydroDiamond facial $175+ → $85 40-unit Botox appointment $400–480 → $200–240 Source: CBS News Los Angeles price comparison, Oct. 15, 2026 (Lipo Tijuana VIP vs. LA-area estimates). A medical spa, not a hospital. Confirm the injector’s license and the product brand. Run the math on a 40-unit Botox appointment. That’s $200 to $240 in Tijuana and $400 to $480 at home. Do it three or four times a year and the gap pays for the drive… and lunch. Why so cheap? Dr. Pedro Cota, who runs the spa, told CBS the products and standards are the same. What changes is labor, because wages in Mexico are lower. About 70% of his clients are from the US. The trips are organized by Alisha Thornlimb, who started after videos of her own visits went viral. Her pitch is simple: these are women who want to spend a little on themselves but can’t justify US prices. In other words, it’s not luxury. It’s a budget hack. But it’s still medicine. Even a simple injection can bruise, swell, or leave lumps, and an infection can show up days later, after you’re home. A 2022 CDC study of more than 93,000 medical tourists found that 5% reported complications. That number doesn’t tell you the risk of any one treatment or clinic. But it’s not zero. So check the injector’s license. Ask what brand you’re getting, and see the box. Know who you’ll call if something swells overnight. And remember that a medical spa isn’t a hospital. If you’re thinking about surgery under anesthesia, the vetting bar goes way up. Cheap is fine. Careless isn’t. | | | | Reader Review Istanbul Aesthetic Center, Istanbul, Turkey Rhinoplasty · June 2026 · Verified review · [flymedi.com](https://www.flymedi.com/plastic-surgery/rhinoplasty) R. wanted a better profile without a completely different face, and chose Istanbul Aesthetic Center for a rhinoplasty, booked through the platform Flymedi.At the consultation, the surgeon listened carefully and recommended a shape that would still look natural with the rest of her features, rather than a dramatic change. She says that conversation is what won her trust.Recovery went as expected. There was swelling for the first few weeks, which is normal after nose surgery, and the clinic answered her questions throughout. She also found the trip itself easy to organize.Her verdict: the result looks even better than she imagined, and she rated it five out of five.For context, Flymedi lists rhinoplasty in Turkey from €2,300 for the surgery alone, about $2,590 at today’s exchange rate. US prices typically run $8,000 to $15,000\. Ask any clinic exactly what its quote includes before you compare. — R., verified Flymedi review, June 19, 2026 Verified review | | | | Quick Reads Beauty Korean Clinics Saw 173,000 American Patients Last Year South Korea treated just over 2 million foreign patients in 2025, and about 173,000 of them came from the US. Spending is still climbing. Foreign patients spent about $154 million there in July 2026 alone, up 66.5% from a year earlier. If Tijuana is the budget run, Seoul is the long-haul version, with flights to match. For anyone already planning a trip to Korea, though, a skin appointment is an easy add-on. Interesting… Safety Note Even Botox Changes Your Anatomy That’s the point Elizabeth Ziemba, president of Medical Tourism Training Inc., made to CBS. Every procedure carries risk, from a simple injection to an organ transplant. Her checklist is short. Verify the provider’s license and credentials. Ask a lot of questions. Don’t go ahead until you feel comfortable. And plan for follow-up care before you leave, because swelling or an infection can show up after you’re home. Savings Spotlight A Facial for $85\. Dysport for $250. The same CBS price comparison found a HydroDiamond facial at $85 in Tijuana, against at least $175 in Los Angeles. Dysport ran $250 for 50 units versus as much as $450\. Sculptra was $585 a vial versus $800 to $950\. On small treatments like these, the savings only work if you live close to the border or stack several treatments into one trip. Do the math with gas, border wait times, parking, and a day off work included. | | You’re reading Beyond Borders, published five days a week, Monday to Friday. This newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making treatment decisions. We are not affiliated with any hospital, clinic, or practitioner mentioned. |