BOTOX® and Restylane® are both excellent and useful products, as we have discussed in previous posts, but they are not over-the-counter products you can buy at a gas station or convenience store. Like many medical treatments, they require specialized expertise to determine the best treatment and how to apply that treatment safely and effectively.
The reason you can’t buy BOTOX® and Restylane® yourself is not because these are considered dangerous products – by all standards they have proven themselves to be very safe. But just as you do not draw your own blood at home for a routine medical checkup and instead go to a safe, clean facility to receive help from experts who have many resources at hand, it is a very bad idea to perform such a delicate procedure on yourself, especially without training, education, and years of experience.
Unfortunately, a few poorly-administered BOTOX® cases have undermined many people’s trust in a procedure that can help them cosmetically and medically, and these cases are usually the result of either an unusually inexperienced person like a technician or assistant administering the procedure instead of a doctor or someone shopping around until they find a doctor willing to do whatever they ask even when they want procedures that are not right for them.
But Don’t I Know My Body Best?
You are probably familiar with your own body and its uniqueness in ways no one living outside your body can feel without experiencing it themselves. You also probably have a vision of what you would like to change. These are not obstacles and do not contradict the role of your plastic surgeon. Doctors study the latest technology, research, and treatments for many years in a highly competitive environment and they learn not only about anatomy and healing, but also what to do in rare instances of complications, and how to individually approach each case in ways that may not be obvious to the layperson. Beyond this they complete residencies, fellowships, research projects, and professorships. Add to this years of practical experience in the field working with actual patients, and they have now obtained a wide body of knowledge that is impossible to learn by reading an article (or even several articles!) online.
When doctors emphasize the importance of working with a qualified professional instead of relying on self-diagnoses and home remedies, they mean that it’s optimal to bring your concerns to a doctor who will listen to you and consider all that you have to say so that doctor can provide honest feedback about technical and clinical aspects of what you need, sometimes advising a solution that you may not even have been aware of as an option, or sometimes admonishing you against a procedure for health concerns of which you might not have been aware. There are subtle differences in treatment approaches that require a physical examination along with a consultation, and this kind of insight cannot be gleaned from the internet, a numbered list of instructions, or even by looking in the mirror.
Sometimes one problem can look a lot like another that requires a different treatment – it’s vital that a physician help you distinguish these from one another. Your doctor is not there to take control of your wishes, but to communicate with you so you both learn from each other in different ways and come to agree on the best course of action. Your doctor will then act with the precision and knowledge that can only be derived from education, experience, and skill.
How Will My Doctor Understand Exactly What I Want?
By being careful to keep communication open, complete, and honest, you can get exactly what you need. Keep in mind that it is your responsibility as much as your doctor’s to thoroughly discuss your needs, concerns, and medical history. He or she will have a variety of approaches ranging from examining you to asking questions to discussing how you feel about different photos. This way your doctor can get an accurate knowledge of your goals, and you can ask for your doctor’s advice and explain your concerns directly. Your doctor also has the advantage of being able to spot patient requests that, based on experience, will likely lead to disappointment. If you insist that an unadvised procedure be performed, you may be able to find someone who will do what you say, but you will likely regret this in the end and are better off talking to the doctor in more detail about your reservations and learning why he thinks one solution will work better than another.
Why Can’t I Create Perfect Results by Myself?
No doctor learns to administer a delicate procedure like BOTOX® and Restylane® injections by reading a simplified list of instructions or watching a five-minute video on a web page. Bodies are more complex than that, as are the variations between individual bodies. What lies under the facial skin is more complex than most imagine, with different kinds of tissues and many diverse muscles there, and it’s crucial to have a thorough knowledge of not only where these anatomical parts lie and how to work with or around them, but also how the thousands of components interact with each other.
You cannot simply eye your face and plunge in a syringe here and there until you think it looks good. This is a great way to set yourself up for asymmetrical results and become one of those rare people who experience complications, like lumping, “frozen” features, or excessive bruising and swelling. You could even end up giving yourself a complication completely unassociated with these products; for example if you don’t have training about stringent sanitation, you could cause an infection. Further, it’s important to realize that, even though benefits can be immediate, the final results will not be seen right away because there will always be a certain amount of healing time. Only a doctor who has closely observed and helped many people heal will understand how the results will change over the next few days and weeks will recognize the face’s optimal response during treatment.
What If I Can’t Afford It?
Usually when something sounds too good to be true it unfortunately is, especially in reference to intricate valuables carrying unbelievably low prices. BOTOX® and Restylane® treatments are expensive. The service of an expert cosmetic surgeon is not free and then the products are expensive. It may be tempting to order Chinese Botulinum toxin or Restylane from a Canadian pharmacy. The price may be enticing. However, it is generally illegal to ship these products into the United States. They may be confiscated and you may be subject to violating Federal import laws. If your product does not get confiscated you may not get what you paid for. Many of these products are counterfeit and contain adulterants rather than the medication they claim to be. This is truly a buyer beware situation. No ethical doctor will treat you will a syringe of products you bring into the office yourself. The bottom line is that if you can’t afford treatment, you are better off not doing anything at all. In fact, you will be much more likely to encounter larger expenses when you need your at-home experiment corrected by a specialized professional.
A Complex Treatment
BOTOX® and Restylane® treatments are not the same as giving oneself a “shot.” If it were so easy, there would not be entire practices specializing in their optimal administration and so much research devoted to improving every detail of their use. For example, Dr. Steinsapir invented the Microdroplet™ BOTOX® method which consistently yields remarkable results, and this is not something you can “pick up” online. This minimally invasive procedure requires specialized skills. Save yourself a potential disaster by ignoring anyone who claims you can do your own BOTOX® and Restylane® treatments.
Improvement through Individualized, Experienced, Professional Care
Dr. Steinsapir is a world leader in BOTOX® and Restylane® treatments, specializing in procedures that improve the face to restore a rejuvenated, natural look as non-invasively as possible. He has pioneered inventions like Microdroplet™ BOTOX® and Deepfill™ Restylane®. Call us today to learn more about Dr. Steinsapir’s Restylane and BOTOX® specializations.
