Claudia Pinkerton, of Bath, is about to get her first Botox injection. She said she wasn’t nervous, nor was she worried about a recent FDA warning that Botox could be deadly.
“Actually, word of mouth is most important to me,” Claudia said. “I mean, you can weigh the pros and the cons, and there are pros and cons in anything you do.”
The FDA warning was issued only after several children with cerebral palsy died after receiving Botox injections to treat leg spasms.
That’s a use of the drug that is not formally FDA approved, and it also requires a much higher dose than cosmetic treatments.
“The kinds of doses used to treat spastic muscles is in the 400-600 unit range, and the dosing used for Botox cosmetic, is 25 units,” said Dr. Vito Quatela, a facial plastic surgeon. “So we’re talking about something that’s one twentieth the actual dose.”
Though the FDA is looking into all types of Botox use, facial plastic surgeons said the only adverse effects they have heard of in their business have been when unlicensed doctors have used a type of Botox not approved for use in the face.
“It’s a fairly expensive product, when you look at it weight, for cost,” said Dr. Quatela. “And so people will try to obtain other forms of Botox that are either used for experimental reasons or veterinary forms, sometimes they’re much more potent.”
Experts also said in recent years, many spas and salons have also begun offering Botox injections. If you want to make sure you’re getting a safe injection, make sure the spa is medically licensed.
