It’s no secret that getting neurotoxin injections could be costly. However a current social media money-saving pattern has specialists elevating alarm bells, and with good motive. Searches for Innotox have taken off in current months as increasingly more American and U.Okay. customers go searching for self-administered Korean botox, slicing their prices severely in favor of risking their wellness and security.
Featured Specialists Jeanine Downie, MD is a board-certified dermatologist based mostly in Montclair, NJ Tina Alster, MD is a board-certified dermatologist based mostly in Washington, DC Anna Chacon, MD is a board-certified dermatologist working towards telehealth nation-wide What’s Innotox?
Described as a “ready-made liquid botulinum toxin solution,” Innotox is a Korean neurotoxin containing botulinum toxin sort A, the identical lively ingredient present in Botox Beauty. The primary distinction is that Innotox arrives already combined and ready-to-go, relatively than freeze-dried Botox, which needs to be reconstituted earlier than being injected.
Critically, although, it isn’t permitted to be used within the U.S. “Innotox has not gone through clinical trials and is not FDA approved for usage in this country, and is not recommended under any circumstances,” Montclair, NJ dermatologist Jeannie Downie, MD says firmly.
The Risks of Self-Injecting Neurotoxin
The ready-to-use format mixed with the third-party vendor price ticket (with doses going for as little as $60), Innotox has change into a DIY magnificence pattern. And that’s harmful.
“While the cosmetic use of botulinum toxin rarely causes severe side effects in experienced hands, the frequency of serious complications such as muscle weakness, difficulty breathing or swallowing, double-vision and other visual disturbances, vascular injury (with blindness) and facial asymmetry is increased exponentially when untrained injectors are performing the treatment,” explains Washington, DC dermatologist Tina Alster, MD.
That’s to not point out that buying via third-party sellers means you will have even much less management over what’s actually in that needle.
“These products are often not FDA-approved and may be counterfeit, contaminated or improperly dosed,” explains nationwide telehealth dermatologist Anna Chacon, MD. “Beyond that, administering them without medical training can lead to serious complications, even life-threatening reactions are possible if the toxin spreads beyond the injection site.”
Innotox Shouldn’t Be Obtainable for Shopper Buy
In line with the creators of Innotox, Medytox, it shouldn’t be this straightforward for customers to get their palms on this product anyway.
When TODAY.com reached out to Medytox, they indicated in a press release that they had been “not previously aware” of individuals buying its merchandise via third-party retailers and that it deliberate to “investigate this unauthorized activity. The company added, “Only medical providers in countries that have approved Medytox products should be using our brands.”
In fact, the web is huge and third-party sellers are quite a few, leaving many customers with the choice to pursue self-injection.
Don’t be tempted, the dangers are simply not price it.
“Self-injecting a toxin as a non-medical person is utterly ridiculous and can possibly lead to scarring, infection and severe nerve damage among many other things,” Dr. Downie reiterates. “This is a horrible idea and it should not be used.”
