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Our LocationAs demand for aesthetic procedures continues to grow, so also does the entry of unskilled and unsavory providers. The internet is rife with stories of fake BOTOX® and other injectables across the country. Years ago, you would never consider that someone would actually try and sell you something that is not only not the real product but also something that could be potentially dangerous. Now, this practice is becoming more and more common. And so now, more than ever, it is critical to know not only who is injecting you but also what they are injecting you with.
Some recent examples of this include the following. 61 year old, Rana J. Hunter of Marina del Rey was recently convicted of smuggling human growth hormone into the United States and then distributing it to doctors and spas across the country via the internet. In addition, she also claimed to offer BOTOX® which was not the real thing. But don’t worry about her. She will probably not be injecting or distributing these products again anytime soon since she faces a maximum penalty of 39 years in federal prison.
Another woman, Xin “Faith” He of Bellevue, WA was also recently accused of injecting counterfeit Restylane® and BOTOX®. And the story gets worse. Apparently, in 2004 he injected fake Restylane into a client’s face following which the woman’s face become so swollen that she required medical attention. And as recent as April of 2008, he injected yet another client with his phony Restylane® and she had to get plastic surgery because her face became so hard and swollen.
If these stories don’t scare you, consider the physician who injected a BOTOX® counterfeit into his clients in Florida and then ultimately into himself. He and his patients soon ended up in the local Intensive Care Unit. Authorities determined that they were each administered somewhere around 10,000 times the usual dose.
And so the point of this story? Always ask who will be injecting you, ask what their training and experience is, and make them show you the product they will be injecting. While experience and training are essential to a successful outcome, so also is using the actual product.
We would love to hear your stories. Please send them to [email protected]. The best story will receive a complimentary treatment by Dr. Buford with REAL BOTOX®!