Be Sure to Ask These Questions Before Getting Injectables

Every year, over 10 million Americans receive injections of dermal filler and/or neurotoxins (i.e. BOTOX®) to enhance their appearance. Neurotoxin treatments alone are up nearly 900% in the past 20 years. With this impressive increase in demand, it’s no wonder that inexperienced injectors and counterfeit injectables have become a serious problem. And yet in-depth discussions of how you, as a patient, can find an injector who will provide skillful, safe injections are comparatively rare.

In our Denver-area plastic surgery office, we have decades of experience injecting as well as correcting bad outcomes (we often help patients fix unsatisfactory results from other injectors) and want to share our expertise with you. This blog will help you avoid problem results and equip you to find the best plastic surgeon, physician assistant, or other qualified provider for your next injectable treatment.

How do I find a talented, qualified injector?

You simply cannot compromise on these two things in an injectables provider: a medical background and extensive injectables experience. Appropriate medical backgrounds include board certified plastic surgeons, board certified dermatologists, physician assistants (PA), or certified nurse injectors.

But a degree or board certification does not guarantee that your injector has special training in injectables or an eye for aesthetics. Before scheduling your appointment, do your homework:

• Look at numerous before and after pictures on the practice’s social media and/or website, looking for patients who are similar to you in the “before” photos.
• Look for the injector’s specialty training or certification with injectables (Dr. Buford, for example, is a Master Facial Injectables Trainer for Allergan).
• Read online reviews on Real Patient Reviews, RealSelf, Google, Facebook, and others to get a sense of their reputation. A well-loved injector typically receives excellent reviews from their grateful patients.
• Find out their prices, and avoid any practice that charges an unrealistically low rate for injectables. (Many patients who come in asking us to fix bad results chose a provider with discount rates.)
• Choose a specialist who enjoys offering injectables as a core part of their practice. For example, if you see that the lead plastic surgeon at a practice regularly performs injectables, this can be a good sign that they understand these procedures deserve expert attention.

In sum, you want to find a provider with extensive injectable procedure experience and a proven track record of delivering beautiful results.

How do I avoid counterfeit injectables or treatments?

If you are suspicious that your provider’s injectables (or other treatments, such as lasers) may not be legitimate, here are ways you can check:

• Join any rewards programs offered by your treatment’s manufacturer. While these earn you perks on treatments, your credits can typically only be validated at legitimate distributors. Examples include ASPIRE Rewards from Galderma (Restylane® manufacturer, among others), and Allē℠ Rewards from Allergan (Botox®, among others).
• If a provider is offering a new brand of injectable that others aren’t, look up its FDA approval to confirm that it’s legitimate and read about others’ experiences with the treatment online, i.e. on RealSelf.
• Ask your provider where they source their products, since counterfeits of name-brand treatments could still pass the above tests. They should have a legitimate distributor, with a long history of a relationship to the manufacturer.
• Check your provider’s name in the manufacturer’s directory listing of authorized providers, where possible.
• You can also ask your injector to open the sterile package in front of you. Botox comes in a vial, which requires the surgeon to add saline before loading it into a syringe. Dermal filler comes in a pre-loaded syringe.

Even if the injector seems well-intentioned, remember your health is at stake when receiving dermal filler and toxin injections, both of which must be very precisely and expertly injected to avoid serious risks. If you have reason to question your treatment, walk away and find another injector with legitimate qualifications, experience, and products.

What questions should I ask before receiving injectables?

Before your appointment, write a list of questions for your injector about the treatment you want. Include these questions about the injector and their background:

1. What is your medical training background?
2. Where did you learn to inject with this product? Do you have certification?
3. How many patients have you treated with this injectable?
4. Can you show me before and after photos of previous patients with similar concerns?
5. How long will the treatment last?
6. Do you have a policy for touch-ups if I am unsatisfied with my results?

Looking for Botox or filler in Denver or Lone Tree? Visit Lauren and Dr. Buford at BEAUTY by BUFORD

For those looking for injectables in Denver, the highly-qualified injectors at BEAUTY by BUFORD in Lone Tree offer numerous facial injectable options. Lauren Voss Mitschrich, PA-C is an accomplished, board-certified dermatology physician assistant. She received special training in aesthetic enhancement from world experts in cosmetic dermatology, and is passionate about providing balanced, natural results for her patients—and adding gentle, classy enhancement when desired. Board certified plastic surgeon Gregory Buford, MD, FACS is a Master Facial Injectables Trainer for Allergan and also offers artfully-administered injectables at his Lone Tree practice.

We look forward to helping you develop your ideal injectables routine. Contact us today to schedule your appointment or learn more.

Posted by BEAUTY by BUFORD