Cheap Botox – Is It Worth It?

Botox $8.00 per unit? Dysport $3.00 per unit? Restylane for $350.00 per syringe? We all recognize that price is important. However, most will agree that cheaper doesn’t necessarily equate to better. In fact, we would even argue that cheaper, in most cases, doesn’t even equal adequate. We often hear stories of Groupon deals wherein the Botox “did not last.” In one serious case, a patient was injected with a dermal filler obtained overseas that resulted in a serious tissue infection.

No business or practice will operate in a manner to lose money. To support pricing that is significantly below the standard in our profession, many corners may be cut. Short- cuts and compromising standards in a medical professional do not bode well for patients and also call into question the ethics of the medical professional.

What consumers may not realize is that it is illegal for a medical practice to purchase, obtain, use, or distribute Botox, Dysport, or any injectable dermal filler from anyone other than the manufacturer in the United States. Because of this widespread problem, regulations and enforcement are finally equipped to catch up with those placing patients at risk and degrading the aesthetic medical profession. See the below link for a widespread operation that targeted numerous local and non-local medical professionals illegally purchasing their products.

You may be wondering right about now if it’s worth the risks vs. the potential benefit of saving money. If the only negative outcome is a short or substandard duration with your Botox, then you are still not saving money. However, please consider that illegally obtained products cannot offer a guarantee of sterility or proper handling, or that you are even receiving a safe product. If something goes wrong, the insurance carrier for the injector will not cover the adverse event. Finally, if we cannot trust our physicians and nurse to obey the law in one area, it calls into question everything as it pertains to ethics and integrity.

We recognize that we are not the cheapest, nor do we strive to be. Our goal is to offer competitive pricing with a safe, appreciable outcome, and most of all… remains a trusted name in aesthetic medicine.