How To Reduce The Risks Of BOTOX ® Injections

The injection of BOTOX ® is a fairly common cosmetic procedure intended to address and reduce signs of aging, particularly around the forehead, eyes and mouth. Despite being derived from the Botulinum toxin, the substance used in genuine BOTOX ® injections intended for cosmetic use has been highly purified and is administered in very small doses, and is actually quite safe. It has been in use since the 1980s, and, when properly prepared and injected by a qualified medical professional, can be a safe and also very effective way to reduce wrinkles and lines on your face, effectively making you appear years younger.

However, that last part is very important: when properly prepared and injected by a qualified medical professional. While it might seem like a marketing ploy to steer patients toward higher prices, there are in fact some very real, specific reasons that “cheaper” and “discount” BOTOX ® options may be both risky and dangerous.

When BOTOX ® is shipped, it is not ready to administer directly out of the box. It must first be diluted with saline to the manufacturer’s specifications, and should also be used quickly, as it has a limited “shelf life” and loses potency as time passes. In fact, to ensure the highest quality and effectiveness, some practices, such as that of Dayton BOTOX ® expert Dr. Raymond Wolf, even choose to schedule BOTOX ® injections back-to-back on the same day, so that the product is administered at its “freshest” and most effective point.

However, many discount BOTOX ® practices don’t care as much about optimal effectiveness or proper specifications. In attempts to offer lower prices, discount practices very often will over-dilute the BOTOX ® product in order to get more doses out of it (reducing its strength and, therefore, effectiveness). It may be near or even past its expiration date, in addition to any further loss in potency from sitting around after being prepared for administration. Such practices can significantly reduce the effectiveness of your BOTOX ®, producing less of a result and/or causing the results to last for a shorter period of time, negating any theoretical cost savings from going with a “discount” practitioner.

While in these instances the effectiveness and value of the BOTOX ® is reduced, there are also other methods some practices may use to lower prices that present very severe dangers and risks to patients. For example, some discount BOTOX ® practices have been caught using imitation or counterfeit BOTOX ®. Whether deliberately, or simply inadvertently by purchasing from an unofficial supplier, administering a counterfeit product can be incredibly dangerous to a patient, considering there’s no telling what might be in the vial, or whether it might even be toxic. There is no amount of money to be saved that could justify the risks of ever receiving a non-genuine, potentially poisonous, counterfeit BOTOX ® product.

As you can tell, in many cases, choosing discount BOTOX ® can turn out to be no savings at all. At worst, it could cost you your health, or even life! In no way should this suggest that BOTOX ® is unsafe or steer you away from receiving BOTOX ® injections, if you’re interested. It’s just important to make sure to choose a qualified BOTOX ® practitioner that uses genuine product and knows how to properly dilute and administer it to patients. So the next time you’re looking around for great BOTOX ® deals, just remember to do your research so you can be sure to have the best value and experience with your treatment!