Facial Injections: Info, Prices, Photos, Reviews, Q&A

All physicians have the right to purchase Botox. Not all physicians have the proper training to correctly utilize it.

Botox was not yet available when I began my aesthetic treatments. Many of us who underwent our medical training earlier learned by taking post graduate training from qualified injectionists.

Botox technique is a common topic at aesthetic meetings. Check on the years of experience of your potential injector, and try to get the opinion of some of his/her prior patients.

Never use anything but true legitimate products. (Maurice M. Vick, Jr., MD, Baton Rouge Urologist)

Qualifications for Botox injection

This tends to vary state by state. For example, in the state of Washington, only nurses and doctors can inject. I have heard that in Oregon- medical assistants can inject. The important things to realize is that you want someone with experience.

Nurses often obtain an additional certifications, ie. CANS, which show that they took additional training/ passed certain exams to achieve. Reviews will help you determine how good someone is and simply asking around! (Sapna A. Patel, MD, Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Who should inject Botox?

The first thing to recognize it that administering Botox is a medical procedure and as such should only be carried out by suitably qualified medical practitioners within a clinical environment.

Unfortunately, at present there is no standardization of training and no legislation, therefore to ensure a safe and high quality treatment you should seek treatment from a dedicated medical aesthetic practitioner, rather than someone who only carried out the procedures intermittently.

This could be some who is trained as a doctor, dentist or nurse. You can confirm they are qualified on the GMC, GDC or NMC registration list respectively. As always, the best advice is to seek a highly qualified and dedicated aesthetic medical practitioner who can guide you towards the most appropriate options and results for you. (Tracy Mountford, MBBS, London Physician)

Unfortunately, it is the wild west out there for who is injecting botox. You will have to be your own advocate. You may find doctors- all kinds including ER doctors, radiologists, etc. Name one I’ve seen it) You may also find nurses, physician assistants and even spas.

The rules vary by state, so you must ask the questions yourself and decide what level of medical training is comfortable for you. In my practice, I personally treat my patients.

As a board certified plastic surgeon in a medical facility, my patients expect an experienced injector with full knowledge of facial anatomy, complete medical records that are kept updated and high patient customer service. (Jack Peterson, MD, Topeka Plastic Surgeon)

Botoxed by who?

This is a hard question to answer as there is no certification for this. In our practice only the surgeons inject. That is because if the results are going to have my name on them I prefer to be the one to do the injecting.

It does not take much time and in a city like Chicago I think it is what people have come to expect. (Benjamin Caughlin, MD, Chicago Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Botox Safety and Side-Effects

Depends on where you live. In CA physicians, nurses and PA’s can inject Botox. With adequate training it is remarkably simple and safe. Ten’s of millions of patients have been treated since 1990 with surprisingly few problems.

Of course, you should see someone with experience, generally someone recommended by multiple happy friends and/or your trusted physician. Many nurses are extremely skilled and patient. Naturally, performing the service in a medical facility wherein sterility, safe storage of product, genuine product and back-up systems is valuable.

Remember, doctors are insured in their offices and in certain medical facilities (like a hospital or surgicenter) not in your home, so “Botox parties” are out of the question (Bruce Saal, MD, Los Gatos Dermatologic Surgeon)

Best Botox Doctors

The fact is that it is legal for any physician to treat a patient with Botox. In many states the injections can legally be performed by a nurse under the supervision of physician.

The fact is that great results from Botox come from getting your treatment by a great injector who has experience, skill and artistry. In the right hands, Botox is very safe and has an amazingly high satisfaction rate.

So how do you find the right doctor? Your best bet is to look for someone who’s primary focus is cosmetic treatments. It is really helpful if you get a recommendation from a doctor or friend.

Online reviews are not perfect, but it is often helpful to check out reviews on a reliable site like RealSelf. (Marc Cohen, MD, Philadelphia Oculoplastic Surgeon)

Botox can be injected by a trained physician, a Physician Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, or a registered nurse under a physician’s supervision. However, it is best to chose a provider based on their expertise in injecting.

You can gauge this by researching if the provider has received advanced trainings and certifications with injectables. It is critical that providers continue their education to stay current on injecting and continue to advance in their field. (Scott Chapin, MD, FACS, Philadelphia Plastic Surgeon)

In my office I inject all Botox and fillers myself. While I agree that a nurse can learn to inject these products, I have seen more complications when injections are performed by non-physicians. My feeling is that if you have the choice, why would you not go to a physician?Nothing beats having a doctor who is personally responsible for you and personally accountable to you.

The other consideration is the specialty of the doctor. In general, I would recommend that you see a doctor in one of the core cosmetic specialties such as dermatology or plastic surgery. (Richard Ort, MD, Lone Tree Dermatologic Surgeon)

Who is qualified to inject Botox? vs who is an expert injector

I have a saying “just because you can buy a paint brush, doesn’t mean you are Picaso”. There are many people who are qualified to inject Botox. My recommendation is to look for a board certified Dermatologist who you can develop a long term relationship with for your Botox and other aesthetic needs.

Most people fear looking strange after Botox; if you find an expert to do your injections they should be able to give you a natural looking result. (Quenby Erickson, DO, FAAD, FACMS, Chicago Dermatologic Surgeon)

I would say that your best chances of a great result would be going to a doctors office that specializes in aesthetic procedures. These are usually plastic surgeons and dermatologists. Im sure there are a few OB GYNs and Family doctors that do a decent job but your best chance is with someone formally trained in aesthetics.

It may get confusing as many of these upscale aesthetic type offices will have a nurse injector do the procedure in addition to the physician. In our office, we don’t use simple RN injectors but have an advanced nurse practitioner, Nancy, who has many years of experience injecting Botox for aesthetics.

While I still offer to inject my own patients for a higher fee, I have to be honest and say that given all of her experience, she is easily as good as I am at injecting Botox for less money. (Mark E. Freeman, MD, Idaho Falls Plastic Surgeon)

The decision to undergo a medical procedure should not be taken lightly. When properly executed, Botox can be an important adjunct in positively impacting the cosmetic appearance of someone’s appearance. Consult a board-certified facial plastic surgeon, a cosmetic dermatologist, or a general plastic surgeon in your community for this matter. (William Numa, MD, FACS, Boston Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Who is qualified to inject Botox

Although Botox is commonly injected, it still is a drug and should be administered by properly trained health care personnel. These include physicians and providers working under a doctors supervision such as physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses.

Make sure your health care provider can explain the risks to you, how Botox works, and why a certain dose is right for you. Ask your provider when and how they were trained to give Botox. (John Zavell, MD, FACS, Toledo Plastic Surgeon)

Safe Botox Injections

Choosing the right Botox treatment provider is the best step you can take in saving yourself from potential complications. The best choice would be to see a surgeon who does the injections himself/herself. Following that, there are a number of family doctors and supervised nurses who also do Botox injections.

Looking for a reputable and experienced injector should be paramount in your decision of who is qualified the most to inject you! (Cory Torgerson, MD, PhD, FRCSC, Toronto Facial Plastic Surgeon)

Who’s Performing Your Botox

A physician or registered nurse injector working under a board certified physician can perform this procedure. (David L. Robbins, MD, FACS, West Des Moines Plastic Surgeon)

Botox and fillers are being administered more and more by non-physicians and technicians. Whilst the latter injections, are reportedly performed under the supervision of a physician, unfortunately most patients never see a physician prior to the injections being performed.

The analysis of the face is ultimately best performed by a certified plastic surgeon, rather than the technician. For a complete list of certified physicians in your area, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, lists certified members on their website. (Teanoosh Zadeh, MD, FRCSC, Montreal Plastic Surgeon)