It’s tempting. It probably seems like an easy DIY job. After all, they’re called “injectables.”
But if you’ve ever tried to replace your own phone screen, you’ve probably figured out that some “easy jobs” may be much, much harder than they seem. And that you should’ve just bucked up and paid the $200 fee at the repair shop.
Unfortunately, the consequences are much worse for messing up your face than messing up your phone.
Permanent Blindness and Even Death
The first sign of trouble is that any injectable that a non-certified professional can get their hands on… is very likely to be fake.
It’s not simply some sort of Breaking Bad scenario, with people buying fake dermal fillers and Botox off the street. DIY videos have persuaded unsuspecting innocents into believing that DIY fillers are normal – much like, say, fixing your phone.
Doctors themselves can inject fillers in themselves, because they’re specifically trained to. But the list of complications that can occur from subtle mistakes is huge: scarring, necrosis, infections, blindness, and, well, death.
Consider the precision needed to inject Botox in the conventional manner. Your face alone has 43 muscles.
In order to remove wrinkles without ruining your range of expression, doctors have to know, with precision, what muscles to target.
And of course, Botox is a neurotoxin, and dosing is a very delicate process. You probably wouldn’t want to put anything called a neurotoxin near your face without very delicate precision.
If you’re considering doing a DIY injectable job, don’t. It’s as simple as that. Cosmetic treatment has become increasingly affordable, and should reasonably be within most consumers’ price range.
But of course, if these treatments are out of your price range, DIY options are not a feasible alternative. When the possible complications include death (not to mention at the very least a serious case of goopey face), it’s important to prioritize.
Considering cosmetic treatment? Call Washingtonian Plastic Surgery to schedule your appointment today.
Dr. Navin Singh is a dual board-certified plastic and facial plastic surgeon and founder of Washingtonian Plastic Surgery. He previously served as Director of Cosmetic Surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and currently serves as a board examiner for both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and has been recognized as a Top Doctor by Washingtonian Magazine.
