A syringe of facial filler, which can add volume to areas of the face that appear sunken, can cost over $1,000 at a licensed provider. Now, some people are skipping the professionals by injecting themselves to save money on the popular beauty treatment.
Why are people injecting filler and Botox at home?
In a video with over 15,000 views, TikToker Paris Campbell Grace (@pariscampbellgrace) shows her face marked up in pen where she injected a botox-like product herself.
“It feels like I girlbossed too close to the sun. This recession is hitting me different,” she says. While the United States is not officially in a recession, many Americans feel the economic strain from tariffs, supply chain issues, and rising costs of everyday goods.
@pariscampbellgrace #DIY ♬ original sound – paris campbell grace
Grace isn’t an example of some rare injectable DIY’er. Theda Kontis, MD, FACS, a double board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, tells Allure, “There’s many people out there injecting themselves.”
Is it safe to inject yourself with filler and Botox?
In the comments of Grace’s video, many viewers warn that DIY-ing injectables can be dangerous.
“Hi so maybe… don’t? Please go to the doctor’s office to paralyze parts of your face. It’s a black box label toxin. Be careful,” one writes.
“I’m sure you know if you have any strange swelling, you need to go to the ER immediately. You could easily give yourself a vascular occlusion doing this untrained. I hope you get lucky, but this is not something ppl should feel encouraged to do,” another says.
While customers without a valid license to inject can’t purchase name-brand fillers and Botox, some seedy sellers offer counterfeit alternatives to unlicensed buyers who want to inject at home.
Safety concerns over at-home injectibles
Dr. David Shafer, a New York-based plastic surgeon, recently spoke to the Daily Dot about the dangers of at-home injectables and fake Botox, saying, “Patients often don’t know what is being injected into them. So, they don’t know if they were injected with fake Botox.”
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these counterfeit injectables can cause side effects like blurred vision, incontinence, shortness of breath, and weakness.
Dr. Shafer also shared the symptoms to look out for from his perspective with the Daily Dot:
“Worrisome symptoms would be trouble breathing, weakness, vomiting, fatigue, change in vision, difficulty swallowing, and pain in areas such as the abdomen. These could be signs of Botulism poisoning, which could occur if fake Botox was administered in exponentially wrong doses. Other signs would be no effect, as the fake Botox may not even contain Botulinum toxin, which is the active ingredient of Botox.”
The FDA warns consumers not to use fillers and Botox sold directly to customers. Instead, they suggest seeking out a licensed medical professional for their beauty treatments.
“If the price is too good to be true, then it’s not genuine Botox Cosmetic,” Dr. Shafer concluded.
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