Differentiating Real From Counterfeit Botox And Dermal Filler Products

In the aesthetic market, counterfeit products are most prevalent and pose great risks to the patients. Counterfeit products often contain cheaper ingredients and other unknown substances that can cause various unwanted side effects like allergic reactions, damage to soft tissue and infections. It is therefore important to buy dermal fillers from a trustworthy partner.

Practitioners should be careful when considering to buy fillers and Botox from illegal sources. Understanding the dangers this could cause to their patients, will heighten awareness and make professionals think twice before buying cheap brands.
It’s extremely difficult for the buyer to tell the difference unless they have a sharp eye and attention to detail.

On the other hand, fake products are labelled with different branding whilst claiming they work the same as an original. The product falsely states it is pure and efficient but is in fact an unsafe, cheaper alternative. Whats more, the brand name is perceived as being highly professional, which dupes medical professionals into trusting the brand, putting patients at risk.

The main side effect of counterfeit Botox is botulism where facial nerves become paralysed and the patient is unable to feel their face. Double vision, slurred speech and dry mouth are also symptoms of counterfeit Botox. Muscle weakness, nausea and problems urinating are additional side effects of toxin overdose.

Ways in which you can be alert and avoid counterfeits are to watch out for the following:

• The lot number on the Botox bottle should match the lot number on the Botox box. There is also a hologram on the box which needs to be authentic.
• If the price of the Botox is too good to be true, then it probably is fake. Cheap products on the market are likely counterfeits.
• If a patient experiences unusual pain from the product administered, then practitioners need to question the authenticity of the product they are administering.
  Develop a trained eye and look for the small details which will help you tell the difference between a counterfeit box and a genuine one. Minor spelling mistakes in print or missing details. Often the illegal manufacturers cannot even spot their own mistakes as they are unprofessional.
• If buying dermal fillers or Botox online, is the company you are purchasing from easy to contact? Do they have a telephone number and registered address? If the contact us page opens up a form for you to send a query, then the likelihood is that there is an illegal person sitting behind the website then they are probably distributing counterfeits.
• Look for a social media page representing the company. If they are genuine, then they will have lots of followers and happy customers. You can often work out the credibility of a company through its social media activity.