“Fake Botox” was discussed recently on Fake Britain on BBC 1.

In summary, the programme emphasises the ‘4 P’s’ I talk about when it comes to looking for a practitioner…all the P’s in this case should have screamed danger!

1. PRICE – it was a low cost treatment and the practitioner was able to fit her in within a couple of days. The real Botox (manufactured by Allergan), costs the practitioner 3 times more than its fake competitors. Therefore, if the treatment is being advertised at a cheap price, you will not be getting the real deal.

2. PRODUCT – the practitioner openly admitted that he doesn’t dilute the product according to protocol. He works outside of the recommended guidelines. The patient noticed no change whatsoever after the first treatment, so she went back for more 🙈. The needle used to inject was an 18g drawing up needle (far too big to be injected into the face), hence the severe discomfort felt by the patient.

3. PREMISES – the procedure was carried out in his living room!

4. PRACTITIONER – no qualifications and not a registered medical professional. Any doctor, dentist and nurse can be searched for on their relevant governing body website. Nurses are registered on the NMC register, and doctors on the GMC register. If you cannot find the doctor or nurses name when searching on the relevant website, it is more than likely that they are not a qualified medical practitioner, and therefore should NOT be carrying out such procedures.

Therefore, please do your research and get recommendations. Consultations are the perfect way to find out information, ask questions and gain further insight into potential treatments. Also remember to take your time before opting for a treatment – the right practitioner will wait.