WHAT IS BLACK MARKET BOTOX?
Designer handbags, shoes, glasses, and you name it .....you can probably find it on the Black Market ... and, yes, even Botox and fillers. But this isn't just about carrying a label or brand name, this is your face and your safety. This is a very serious problem! Black Market Botox may save you money up front, but could cost you in the long run. First, let's consider the risk of using a fake product, and second, heavily consider who is putting this knock-off product in you. Should they be trusted to take care of you if they are using inferior products that put your health and safety at risk?
There are two types of Black Market Botox. First, there is Botox that is made in the US by Allergan and exported for foreign use, but then re-imported at a cheap price, but you don't know what's happened to it while it was out of the country ( tampered). Second is the Botox that actually isn't Botox.
Botox made by Allergan is highly quality controlled, researched, and FDA-approved. If you were to get a copycat version of Botox, there is no guarantee of what you could be injecting into your body. According to the US FDA, the reimportation of pharmaceutical product is ILLEGAL, and so is the SALE of the product, RECEIVING the products (that's YOU), and ADMINISTERING the product. An example of why reimportation of medications is dangerous is the Tylenol tampering cyanide scare of the 1980's ....another reason is that it actually may NOT be the real deal.
Occasionally, we are asked to explain why those people in Florida "died from Botox". They are referring to a story that was widely publicized in early 2005 about some people in Florida who were sent to the hospital after receiving phony Botox injections and became paralyzed. Right now you may be thinking, well that would certainly never happen to me. I see the vials they use, they say "Botox" and have the purple, red orange colors on the box. I just found a better source to get the real thing at a cheaper price. "It's from Canada, so it must be safe. I'm just by-passing the expensive American pharmaceutical industry. Plenty of people get their drugs from Canada. It's the exact product. " WRONG!!
We love Botox and so do our clients, but Botox is a very real medical procedure and has the potential to cause real medical problems when it is not used properly. Using a non-FDA approved substitute only increases the risks for complications. The risks of Black Market Botox can include skin abscesses at best, and blindness, permanent disfiguring, respiratory arrest, or even death. This is nothing to be taken lightly, and the FDA and Missouri Attorney General also takes this very, very seriously.
How do you spot Black Market Botox?
A good rule of thumb: if it's a cheap price, cheap injector, or funky label, it's not safe. Botox is not a cheap item to research, quality control , and to produce, so why would it be cheap in the retail arena?
TIP ONE: If it's too good to be true, then it probably is. If Botox is offered significantly cheaper price than what the rest of the market does, then that should be your first red flag.
TIP TWO: What does the vial of Botox they are using look like? The outside box may be counterfeit but the vial should not. Allergan's Botox has a trademark hologram on the vial. A Black Market vial will not have this and could have foreign writing.
TIP THREE: Who is doing the injecting? Now that Botox is offered everywhere from local nail salons and dentist's offices, ask yourself a few questions before receiving your injections. Is it safe? Is it REAL Botox? Is the person injecting your Botox a licensed medical TRAINED professional ( RN or MD) with experience ( preferably 5 years in the field)?
Eternity Med Spa is a Platinum Allergan partner, meaning that we are in the top 5% of the Botox practices. We purchase all of our Botox product from Allergan directly. You can rest assure that you will always receive the "real" Botox when you come to us. Please feel free to call us if you have any questions.
If there is any topic you would like to learn about, please feel free to contact us and we will make all efforts to educate you so you will be able to make informed decisions.
There are two types of Black Market Botox. First, there is Botox that is made in the US by Allergan and exported for foreign use, but then re-imported at a cheap price, but you don't know what's happened to it while it was out of the country ( tampered). Second is the Botox that actually isn't Botox.
Botox made by Allergan is highly quality controlled, researched, and FDA-approved. If you were to get a copycat version of Botox, there is no guarantee of what you could be injecting into your body. According to the US FDA, the reimportation of pharmaceutical product is ILLEGAL, and so is the SALE of the product, RECEIVING the products (that's YOU), and ADMINISTERING the product. An example of why reimportation of medications is dangerous is the Tylenol tampering cyanide scare of the 1980's ....another reason is that it actually may NOT be the real deal.
Occasionally, we are asked to explain why those people in Florida "died from Botox". They are referring to a story that was widely publicized in early 2005 about some people in Florida who were sent to the hospital after receiving phony Botox injections and became paralyzed. Right now you may be thinking, well that would certainly never happen to me. I see the vials they use, they say "Botox" and have the purple, red orange colors on the box. I just found a better source to get the real thing at a cheaper price. "It's from Canada, so it must be safe. I'm just by-passing the expensive American pharmaceutical industry. Plenty of people get their drugs from Canada. It's the exact product. " WRONG!!
We love Botox and so do our clients, but Botox is a very real medical procedure and has the potential to cause real medical problems when it is not used properly. Using a non-FDA approved substitute only increases the risks for complications. The risks of Black Market Botox can include skin abscesses at best, and blindness, permanent disfiguring, respiratory arrest, or even death. This is nothing to be taken lightly, and the FDA and Missouri Attorney General also takes this very, very seriously.
How do you spot Black Market Botox?
A good rule of thumb: if it's a cheap price, cheap injector, or funky label, it's not safe. Botox is not a cheap item to research, quality control , and to produce, so why would it be cheap in the retail arena?
TIP ONE: If it's too good to be true, then it probably is. If Botox is offered significantly cheaper price than what the rest of the market does, then that should be your first red flag.
TIP TWO: What does the vial of Botox they are using look like? The outside box may be counterfeit but the vial should not. Allergan's Botox has a trademark hologram on the vial. A Black Market vial will not have this and could have foreign writing.
TIP THREE: Who is doing the injecting? Now that Botox is offered everywhere from local nail salons and dentist's offices, ask yourself a few questions before receiving your injections. Is it safe? Is it REAL Botox? Is the person injecting your Botox a licensed medical TRAINED professional ( RN or MD) with experience ( preferably 5 years in the field)?
Eternity Med Spa is a Platinum Allergan partner, meaning that we are in the top 5% of the Botox practices. We purchase all of our Botox product from Allergan directly. You can rest assure that you will always receive the "real" Botox when you come to us. Please feel free to call us if you have any questions.
If there is any topic you would like to learn about, please feel free to contact us and we will make all efforts to educate you so you will be able to make informed decisions.