Botox Parties!?!?
Dr. Martha Stewart practices dermatology in Mandeville, LA. She is a board-certified dermatologist who specializes in cosmetic, medical, and surgical dermatology. She is passionate about helping her patients look their natural best. Her extensive cosmetic training, vast experience in performing minimally-invasive, non-surgical... more
Recently, I was introduced to a woman who had gone to a Botox party hosted by one of her good friends. She told me there was a doctor there who performed injections on her and 15 others while they ate cheese and drank wine. The woman felt she couldn’t pass up the cheap price that was being offered on the Botox and admitted that the party was a lot of fun. She went on to say that the only thing she didn’t like was that the following day she looked like she had two black eyes because she had so much bruising.
She also mentioned that one of her friends was upset because she had received Botox around her eyes and now looked like she had suffered a stroke because one side of her mouth drooped. The woman had received Botox before, once from a plastic surgeon and another time from a dermatologist, and had never experienced any problems. She asked me, “What do you think went wrong this time?” My response to her was, “What went wrong is that you went to a Botox party!” I am shocked that these types of parties are still going on.
Performing Botox injections is a medical procedure that should only be performed by board-certified, well-trained physicians. I am always astonished when I ask patients who have been to these parties: “Who did your injections?” Most of the time they don’t know and say something like, “Oh, some good looking guy in a white coat.” And my reaction is usually something like “What?!!” Would you let just anyone operate on your child or anyone in a white coat who told you they were a doctor perform your pap smear? Absolutely not! So, why on earth would you let just anyone inject a toxin into your face?
FDA approved botulinum toxin is extremely safe when administered by a licensed, skilled physician who has a true understanding of the facial anatomy and how the toxin works. As many of you know, neuromodulators, such as Botox, Jeuveau, Xeomin, and Dysport, work by temporarily relaxing and weakening muscles. In doing so, the muscle is no longer able to contract, which softens the appearance of wrinkles. It sounds simple enough, but many people are finding out that, in the hands of an unqualified person, the procedure can result in significant problems.
As for the nice lady who went to the Botox party, my advice to her was simple:
1. Don’t be afraid to ask the doctor questions: Are they board-certified and, if so, in what specialty? Where did they learn to do neuromodulator injections and how many have they performed? Did they learn it during their years of medical residency or at a two-day course in sunny Hawaii?
2. Your doctor should also be able to explain to you how neuromodulators work and what risks are involved. Even the best dermatologists and plastic surgeons experience complications. You want to be sure that whoever you see will be able to handle these problems if they arise.
3. Make sure you are receiving authentic botulinum toxin. Brands that are FDA approved in the United States for cosmetic use are Botox, Jeuveau, Dysport, and Xeomin. The old adage is true: You get what you pay for.
4. You should never drink alcohol when having your face injected with a toxin because alcohol increases your chance of bruising, and if this was her only complication she was lucky!
In the hands of a well-qualified physician, neuromodulator injections are a very safe and effective treatment that should be performed in a medical office setting, not at someone’s house while drinking wine. What’s next, colonoscopy parties?
