Lidlift Kenneth D. Steinsapir, M.D.
Cosmetic, Facial & Eye Plastic Surgery

Is BOTOX® Safe?

BOTOX® made by Allergan, Inc., is an incredibly safe product with a 20 year track record. The safety of the FDA approved indications is now well established in millions of treatments. However, all drugs have the potential for side effects when used improperly or properly. Generaly the safety of a drug is judged based on its safety record when used in the way detailed and approved by the FDA and the drug’s manufacturer. By this standard, BOTOX® is among the safest drugs in use today. Recently in the news, the FDA has begun to look into the safety of BOTOX® when doctors use it in certain off-label treatments. Off-label means a medical usage for which there is no specific FDA approved indication. Drugs are used for off-label use all the time and this is perfectly legal. However, off-label indications also have the potential for unstudied side effects. Even the small doses of BOTOX® used for cosmetic use can have some pretty significant side effects if improper injection techniques are used. This is why it is critical to work with an experienced injector like Dr. Steinsapir. The most significant problems with BOTOX® are associated with treating small infants with whopping doses to treat rare neuromuscular conditions. This application, which has been in the news is not FDA approved and has no actual relationship to the cosmetic use of BOTOX®. On the other hand, bootleg “BOTOX” has also been in the news and this specifically does relate to cosmetic use of this product. Some greedy doctors got the idea that they could buy research grade Botulinum toxin A never meant for human use for a much better price than buying BOTOX® from Allergan and make extra profit. Well guess what? People got hurt. The good news is that these doctors lost their licenses to practice medicine and many went to prison. The bottom line, go to reputable physicians, avoid situations where there is no physician, and if the price seems too good to be true it probably is—no one is giving real BOTOX® away.