Taking the BS out of BOTOX

Botox is unsafe and can kill you


FALSE. Botox has been used therapeutically for 20 years. It was FDA approved in 1989 and we have over 2,300 peer reviewed medical articles written about it. The lethal dose of Botox is 3000 units. The average Botox cosmetic patient receives 100 units. This is a huge safety margin.





Botox is for the "rich and famous", people like me don't use it


FALSE. According to a recent survey of 1048 Botox Cosmetic patients:

• working mothers between the ages of 40 and 55 are the most common users of Botox.


• those with a household income of less than $100,000 (44%) were more likely to use Botox than those with annual incomes of more than $150,000 (35%).

If I stop using Botox, my face will look different than before


The effects of Botox can last up to 4-6 months. When the drug wears off, your face will return to its pretreatment condition. Many people choose to continue regular treatments (typically 2-3 times per year).





Botox can spread


PARTIALLY FALSE. When injecting, a small amount does diffuse and spread to the area around the injection area. This is more true with Dsyport. Much of the spreading of Botox has to do with the dilution the doctor prepares and his/her technique. This chemical should not spread further than an inch away from the injection site.


Does it spread throughout the body?

No. Patients often don't understand this-sadly, either do many doctors. The way Botox works (simplified version) is as follows.

• Normally a muscle contracts because it receives a chemical signal to do so. This chemical is released from a site "factory a" in a little bubble, and causes contraction at the site of muscle contraction, site "b".
• Botox binds to a port at factory "a" and is internalized. Once internalized, it binds to the little bubbles of chemicals inside the factory walls and does not allow them to be released to get to point "b".
• When Botox "clinically" wears off, it doesn't spread at all. It is still doing its job inside the factory. Your body reacts by producing new factories in a close by area to send to point "b". This chemical can then finally be released and the muscle contracts.

My doctor only charges this small amount for Botox for my whole face


I am sure your doctor is the nicest, most generous guy on the planet, but I doubt he is doing a procedure like Botox and losing a few hundred dollars to make you look good. People shop around for prices and come in with coupons and honestly it is mind-boggling. Here is how Botox works...


what your doctor doesn't want you to know...


Botox comes refrigerated to the doctor's office. (if it's not cold-it's not good, like the blue mountains on Coors)


It comes in a fine powder and is mixed by the doctor. (the only way doctors can turn a profit on some of the prices that are advertised, is diluting the heck out of the bottle)


A full treatment for a patient is probably 1/2 a bottle. (a doctor can improperly dilute it enough to treat 10 patients inadequately-I know many who do)


Botox should be discarded after 4 hours as per company recommendations (old Botox although I do not believe is dangerous, I do not believe works well. I know for a fact there are offices that save Botox for up to a year. This is not something we do, I assure you. It sometimes results in a loss of income if someone cannot be scheduled to finish the bottle in time, but we would rather have a happy patient.)


Botox is made by Allergan, in the US. This is the only FDA approved Botox. Some offices purchase Botox from Canada or Europe. It is cheaper. Fake Botox does not have the hologram on the bottle. Otherwise the bottle looks the same. You have every right to look at the bottle. It is being injected in your face!


I get my Botox done at a spa with a nurse


As long as that person knows what they are doing, has a good understanding of anatomy, and know how to handle any complications they can create, I have no problem with this. At my office, I am the only one who injects Botox.





Botox will make me look frozen


In the hands of an experienced injector, Botox will look very natural or as unnatural as you like. I personally like the natural look, where one can still can make expressions but the wrinkles are less.




To the general public:


There is tons of bad information out there about Botox. Please know what you are getting into. Look for someone who has have good patient feedback and not the cheapest price in town.

To my novice injectors out there:


My philosophy on Botox is every patient is a walking advertisement. Do not cut corners to try to make an extra few bucks. Do the right thing, and your reputation will spread, and it will come back 10 fold.