There’s a new party in town – it’s got booze, ladies, and skincare! Sounds fun? Not until you wake up having bruises and a swollen face.
It’s called a botox party, a social gathering where ladies (and gents) get botox all in the same place and time. Botox parties are usually done in a person’s home, where someone comes to inject the treatment to a group of people. These events have the elements that normal parties have: alcohol, cake, music, and fun. They are usually organized by a hostess who turns her home into a “spa”. Most of the time, the hostess gets benefits from hosting a botox party, like free skincare products and other enticing offers.
Don’t get us wrong, Botox is safe and medically administered by licensed dermatologists worldwide. For years, it has been the most popular cosmetic treatment in many countries, and for all the good reasons too. It erases wrinkles and fine lines almost immediately, has no downtime, and no side effects. Many high profile celebrities get Botox treatments, and a lot of women undergo this procedure too.
So, why are Botox parties unsafe and risky?
Bogus Practitioners
Legitimate doctors and nurses would run away from procedures like this. It’s a delicate procedure in a dodgy place. As a result, hostesses try to bypass regulations by settling for anyone who claims they can do the job.
In fact, there was news about a British woman who got a botched lip filler job at a Botox party, because the person who she assumed was a nurse was actually an ex-convict. According to the story, Rachael Knappier went to a friend’s house for a Botox party. Everyone was having fun and getting relaxed while they waited their turn for the treatment. The next morning, Rachael’s lips swelled twice its normal size and she had to get multiple emergency surgeries to fix it. As it turns out, the person who administered the treatment was not a licensed practitioner, but an ex-convict who has no medical training. Thus, the botox was accidentally injected to an artery in her lips, causing it to swell.
In addition, people who administer botox at these parties sometimes require patients to sign a waiver that releases the doctor or nurse from any responsibility if anything goes awry. For patients, this is a major red flag because their legal rights won’t be protected if some sort of malpractice ensued.
Fake products can be used
In a home setting, you can’t really be sure if the product you’re getting is an authentic one. Since it’s outside a legitimate clinic, it’s fairly easy for false practitioners to provide fake information.
“They may be getting inappropriate medications from dodgy sources online or overseas. It may not be the genuine article as it says on the label. It may be salt water, or another medication entirely,” says Dr. Mary Dingley, Fellow of the Cosmetic Physicians College of Australasia and a highly reputable cosmetic practitioner.
A lot of fillers can in fact be bought off from the internet. The actual content of these are hard to confirm, and it’s more dangerous when you don’t know exactly what you’re getting.
It’s simply not the right place
Sure, it feels nice to have a relaxing time with friends while getting a treatment, but anywhere that’s not a clinic is the wrong place to get Botox. Getting cosmetic treatments in a non-sterile environment greatly increases the risk of something going wrong. For one, the possibility of contamination shoots up, and the practitioner might be unable to properly handle emergency situations that may arise.
“Although highly unlikely, the effect of the toxin can spread to other parts of the body. In the event that something goes wrong, a doctor working in a medical office is better equipped to handle an emergency situation than is a doctor giving injections in a home setting,” says Dr. Lawrence Gibson, board certified dermatologist and consultant in Mayo Medical School Department of Dermatology.
Botox and booze don’t mix
Botox is definitely not something that you get on a whim. After all, it is a medical procedure that must be performed by professionals. But with alcohol on the table, your decisions might get clouded.
Dr. Gazi Hussain, Vice President of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, asserts that someone under the influence of drugs or alcohol is not in a mental state to make an informed consent about medical procedures.
“We’ve heard from people who have not had the proper consent process waking up and regretting it,” says Dr. Hussain.
Also, alcohol is a blood thinner. You actually shouldn’t have drinks 24 hours before a botox treatment because it encourages bruising. In fact, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ Code of Ethics bars its member plastic surgeons from performing any procedure in a setting where alcohol is being served. Simply put, booze and botox are two things that absolutely don’t go together.
Botched jobs are likely to happen
All risk factors are heightened during botox parties. Nothing is regulated, products can be fake, practitioners might be unlicensed, and your rights are practically waived. In short, you’re not really sure of anything.
If a Botox treatment is done improperly, side effects may ensue such as trouble speaking, muscle weakness, vision problems, and trouble breathing – all these can happen within hours after a dodgy treatment. Numerous failed surgeries have happened just because patients didn’t go to a proper cosmetic doctor to perform their medical procedures. Remember, it’s your body. It’s better to pay good money for good results than end up getting complications down the road.
With the popularity of Botox parties, more and more women may be putting their lives at risk. The number of cases of botched jobs has been piling up, and it’s time for the government to enforce regulations. It should be imperative that medical procedures such as dermal fillers and Botox be put under the hands of the experts only. Moreover, relevant insurance must be mandatory for patient protection.
If you’re with us in making this happen, please sign this petition. Let’s call on the government to take action against unregulated aesthetic procedures. With your signature, you become part of the movement that helps prevent injuries caused by unlicensed and untrained “practitioners”.
Thinking of getting Botox? Get flawless results safely with highly recommended, licensed experts.
