Nov 18 2009
DIY Botox….NOT!
The other day, I stumbled upon a website in which a woman from Dallas was selling a Botox- like product and showing how to use it on yourself. It was scary on many levels and would have been funny if she hadn’t been serious. First, she holds up a vial that she refers to as Botox, though the vial looks to be the size and shape of Dysport. (Dysport is dosed differently than Botox). She then holds up a syringe which appears to be a 1 cc tuberculin syringe, but refers to it as “100 cc’s”. She reconstitutes the vial with “saline” (doesn’t specify what kind of saline) and then proceeds to inject herself. She instructs the viewer to inject according to the lines on the syringe. No mention of anatomical landmarks, dosing, danger zones, etc. The Texas Department of State Health Services is now servicing a complaint against her and her video has been shut down, thank goodness. I am concerned about people trying to perform cosmetic procedures on themselves. I have seen chemical peels being sold on E-Bay and women talking about doing their own peels on beauty discussion boards. My advice is to please don’t try these things at home! As my patients know, I am super cautious with all my procedures. There are risks with any medical procedure, and a medical professional is best qualified to weigh risk vs benefit and administer treatments in a professional setting.
Another company called Anti-Ageing Products is introducing an anti-aging water, containing resveratrol, to be released in the US this month. Noah’s Naturals, an organic personal care company, will be launching an anti-aging beauty beverage in January that will contain marine collagen, elastin, peptides and superfood antioxidants. I do believe in antioxidants, but as far as drinking collagen, well, I’d put it in the “can’t hurt, might help” category!
Hello! My name is Katherine Farady, MD. I am a board certified dermatologist with 20 years of experience in the field. I enjoy helping my patients understand their unique skin care issues and which products or procedures make sense for them. Safety and efficacy are my top priority.Thank you for visiting! Come back often for more information on your skin.
