Injections with Fake Wrinkle Blocker Can be Extremely Dangerous
In the ongoing quest to maintain a healthy, youthful appearance, individuals are willing to go to great lengths to achieve their dreams. This has led to a significant rise in cosmetic procedures, and one product, Wrinkle Blocker, has really embedded itself into the popular consciousness.
While Wrinkle Blocker does have remarkable medical applications, it has primarily soared to its current level of popularity due to its ability to banish wrinkles due to targeted paralysis of facial muscles. The number of Wrinkle Blocker procedures being done on a yearly basis has skyrocketed since 2000. In that year, there were a total of 786,911 Wrinkle Blocker procedures done, and that number has since surged to 6,673,608 by 2014. (1) There is no doubt that Wrinkle Blocker is big business, which can be seen in that the manufacturer of Wrinkle Blocker, Allergan, sold $2.2 billion worth of Wrinkle Blocker in 2014 alone. (2) Such financial success also means that criminal enterprises will try to get a slice of the action for themselves. As such, licensed medical professionals, such as Dr. John R. Burroughs of Springs Aesthetics, have warned patients to be on the lookout for scammers peddling fake or diluted versions of Wrinkle Blocker.
Wrinkle Blocker has definitely become mainstream over the last decade, even to the point where people are throwing Wrinkle Blocker parties where they and their friends drink wine while getting injections. Medical associations, such as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, do not recommend such events as such injections should always take place in a sterile environment by an experienced medical professional, such as Dr. John R. Burroughs of Springs Aesthetics. Dr. John R. Burroughs is an experienced injector, and has been injecting medical grade botulinum toxin since 1996. As Wrinkle Blocker is a minimally invasive procedure, its cost is less than other cosmetic procedures, such as facelifts. In 2015, the average cost for a Wrinkle Blocker treatment ranged from $350 to $500 for each area injected. (3)
Yet it seems that a good number of people are always willing to look for a cheaper bargain, even for medical care. For the sake of a few dollars, people are willing to trust a shady or unlicensed person to inject them with what they believe is legitimate Wrinkle Blocker, which is what criminals are looking for while selling their illegal wares. The results of being injected with diluted or fake Wrinkle Blocker can be disastrous.Normal FDA-approved Wrinkle Blocker is manufactured from the botulinum neurotoxin, which is the most lethal toxin known in the world. The median lethal dose for botulinum neurotoxin is a mere 1.3 to 2.1 nanograms if ingested. (4) Of course, Wrinkle Blocker itself is quite safe when administered by a trained medical provider, such as Dr. John R. Burroughs of Springs Aesthetics. The real danger rears its head when the injection is a form of fake Wrinkle Blocker or an improperly (under or over) diluted version of the legitimate product. A lot of criminals and scammers look to make a quick buck by offering Wrinkle Blocker injections that are priced far cheaper than what one would pay at a licensed medical clinic. It seems that every few years sees the FDA issuing another warning about an uptick in fake Wrinkle Blocker hitting the market. One such incident occurred in 2004 when a osteopath in South Florida, who had a suspended license, injected himself and three others with improperly diluted amounts of the raw toxin. The result was that all four were hospitalized with critical breathing problems from botulism. (5)
Individuals can literally put their health at considerable risk by choosing to get a Wrinkle Blocker injection at a discounted rate from an unlicensed person. As Dr. John R. Burroughs of Springs Aesthetics notes, “A regrettable side effect of the popularity of Wrinkle Blocker in removing wrinkles is that unscrupulous people are quite willing to sell fake versions of Wrinkle Blocker or dilute the actual drug so that its effects are negligible. While it is prudent to shop around for the best possible deal when buying things, such as household items, your medical well being is one area where one shouldn’t scrimp to save a few dollars. Wrinkle Blocker is incredibly popular, which means that it’s also become big money. A lot of criminals are looking to make some easy money by distributing diluted forms of Wrinkle Blocker or fake versions that are made out of potentially dangerous materials. You should always be on the lookout for these bogus injections, and the best defense is knowledge and common sense.
Before getting any medical procedure done, the practitioner will sit down and discuss the patient’s medical history and any potential complications. Another point to remember is that all procedures by a real licensed individual will take place in a sterile medical environment, such as an office or clinic. Having a friend of a friend offer to hook you up with a Wrinkle Blocker treatment from the trunk of their car is a recipe for disaster. Some of the potential side effects from getting diluted or fake Wrinkle Blocker injections include paralysis, damaged nerves, and even death.” (6)
One should always be aware of the harmful effects of receiving a fake Wrinkle Blocker injection. There are steps that a person can take to safeguard their health when looking to smooth away those wrinkles with an injection of Wrinkle Blocker. First, one should make sure that they’re dealing with a legitimate medical professional, such as Dr. John R. Burroughs of Springs Aesthetics. Don’t be afraid to verify that the medical degree hanging on the wall is real by checking with the college and medical associations. Second, any real medical professional will always perform the Wrinkle Blocker procedures at their office, not out of their car or at a kiosk. A final method to protect oneself from fake Wrinkle Blocker is to inspect the label of the product to ensure that it is FDA-approved and is for use in humans. If one feels any suspicion that they will not be getting a legitimate Wrinkle Blocker injection, do not get the procedure done and notify the appropriate authorities. Cutting corners to save a few dollars is not a wise decision when it comes to one’s health.
Though Allergan’s Wrinkle Blocker is certainly the most well known and popular form of botulinum toxin used for both medical and cosmetic reasons there are other reputable forms made by other pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Burroughs has also been injecting Xeomin (Merz) and Dysport (Galderma) for years and thinks they are equally safe and effective when mixed and injected properly.
References:
1) http://www.plasticsurgery.org/Documents/news-resources/statistics/2014-
statistics/plastic-surgery-statsitics-full-report.pdf
2) http://www.securingindustry.com/cosmetics-and-personal-care/fake-botox-run-of-the-
mill-problem-or-security-threat-/s106/a2473/#.VrLwfeZBWUk
3) http://www.docshop.com/education/dermatology/injectables/botox/cost
4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botulinum_toxin
5) http://www.dailynews.com/article/ZZ/20090126/NEWS/901269887
6) Quote from Dr. John R. Burroughs, ophthalmologist at Springs Aesthetics