This post is more of a public service announcement than anything.
Know this: the Botox you’ve been getting may not be fresh and (gasp) it may even be stale or past its expiry date.
Like mostly all drugs, Botox comes with an expiration date. In most doctors offices with proper inventory management, this really isn’t an issue because they order new Botox ever week or few weeks, and use the oldest stuff first.
Little known fact: Botox is actually shipped as a dry powder in a cooler with dry ice, similar to how you get an Omaha steak in the mail. Once the doctor receives the Botox in his or her lavish Boca Raton practice, they then mix it with a saline solution.
Here is a great video of a doctor (I think) mixing raw Botox powder with saline solution, in preparation for injection.
Ok here is the kicker: lets say you walk into your friendly neighborhood Boca Raton Botox clinic for 30 units. The doctor takes the Botox out, mixes it and injects you. Fine, great.
Once they are done with you, they put the unused portion back into the freezer to be used again. This mixture should really be used within about 1 week if you want to achieve the same effectiveness and avoid being stale.
Other common mistakes that could cause stale or ineffective Botox includes:
- Botox being stored at an improper temperature
- Botox being mishandled
- Botox that is mixed with saline and kept at room temperature, then re-refrigerated
If you are one of the lucky ones that happens to get injected with stale Botox, there are some things you should know. First off, you probably won’t know right away. If you are a seasoned Boca power-mom with 10 years of Botox, you’ll probably realize within about a week when your face isn’t as frozen as usual. The Botox will also start to wear off within about 2-3 months (as opposed to 3-4 months).
The other problem I see happen time and time again is doctors here in the USA that order Botox outside of the United States from unapproved vendors. This is just a huge no-no. You don’t know what you are getting. You could be getting Xeomin, some off-brand of Botox or even rat poison.
One way to spot counterfeit Botox is by checking for a hologram on the side of the Box. Similar to US currency or drivers licenses.
I am not a big fan of telling people to grill their doctors about their procedures, after all they are the professionals. BUT – one thing I always do tell people is to ask where they get their Botox from. The answer should always be the same:
“I get my Botox shipped from Allergan here in the United States.”
Any other answer and you should run for the door.
In reality, your Botox doctor should really be using Botox that is always less than 24 hours old. The best bet is to always go with a busy practice, this will help ensure:
- there are many satisfied patients
- the doctor is receiving a steady supply of fresh Botox
- the doctor has a lot of practical experience
I am not hear to bash anyone, nor am I a doctor so the opinions I’ve expressed here are that of an unprofessional. That said, I am a very informed consumer. I do my due diligence and am a very dedicated researcher.