It's become the quick fix for unwanted wrinkles, and now people can buy do-it-yourself Botox injection kits online.
But doctors warn the risks outweigh the rewards.
"For a patient to buy a kit like that and just think that if there's an instruction sheet that they can use to inject the muscles of the face for facial expression, it's a catastrophe waiting to happen," said Dr. Tracy Favreau, a dermatologist.
In one kit, a 100-unit vial of what's purported to be the bacterium used to soften frown lines cost $152. The price included a how-to DVD.
"A lot of them are from India, China, Third World countries. There's actually some that were made in Arizona in this bootleg Botox lab with horrible results, almost killing people," Favreau said.
Favreau said the risks of doing it yourself are too high.
"Paralysis of one side of the face, so it droops. They can get ptosis of eye, which is a common complication. They can get an abscess, a really bad infection that will worsen from that, a really bad staph infection," Favreau said.
Favreau said under federal law, no form of botulinum toxin may be commercially distributed for use on people unless approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Botox and Dysport are the only two approved for cosmetic use.
Favreau said to make sure you're getting the real thing, even in a doctor's office, ask questions.
"You have to be a good detective. No doctor will be afraid to tell you exactly how to prove that this is an FDA-approved Botox," Favreau said.
Any drug that claims to be Botox that sells for less than $9 a unit should be a red flag. Doctors charge on average $15 a unit.
One do-it-yourself kit purchased online cost less than $2 a unit.
Source: Turnto10
