As a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in New York, I see many patients with facial lines who are looking for nonsurgical correction.  Many of them have had it done before in other places, and I hear shocking stories .  Let me tell you a little bit about how to avoid being ripped off or permanently damaged.

Only a doctor or a nurse under his direct supervision licensed in the state can inject you with a filler or botox.  If it is a doctor from another country or a salon or spa employee, it is illegal for them to do this.  Make sure you ask if they are licensed by the state to do this procedure.

Anyone with a license to practice medicine regardless of what field they trained in can offer you injectables.  This means your Family Practitioner, Ob/Gyn, Radiologist, and even Dentists can do these treatments with no training required.  Ask what field they received there Board Certification in, and how long they have been doing that particular treatment.

Make sure you know what you are getting.  Many illegal practitioners inject silicone, but call it botox or biopolymer or whatever is hot.  You can avoid this by asking to see the bottle or syringe and packaging first.  All legal injectables have the brand and logo printed on them.  A regular syringe of clear liquid is most likely silicone.  This is permanent and can cause longterm problems.

Even if you get botox, it can be watered down.  Botox is measured in units, and each area needs about 15 to 25 units.  Ask how many units, as sometimes a cheap price isn’t so inexpensive if you are getting less.

My last advice is if you are unsure or feel that something is not right, do not do the procedure.  It is not an emergency, do your homework.  You can always go back if all checks out.  Hope this helps.