- Botox parties are trending throughout the world, luring participants with their fun, approachable atmosphere.
- Botox parties generally get a bad rep as cases of injuries and botched jobs pile up.
- Cosmetic procedures can still be a social affair as long as the proper precautions are taken.
- Receiving Botox injections outside of a medical office is never a good idea.
Forget Tupperware parties! Right now, it’s all about Botox. Indeed, as this trend continues to gather steam, more and more women are lining up with cocktails in hand to share in the Botox experience.
As fun as this sounds, it isn’t all glitz and glam as hostesses often forget to invite the most important guest: a board-certified medical professional.
What’s a Botox Party?
A Botox party is essentially a social gathering, usually in a person’s home, where someone comes to administer Botox injections or other dermal fillers to a large group. The casual, social environment makes it less threatening to first-time Botox users. Nowadays, so many women undergo this procedure – not just high-profile celebrities – that we can easily understand the appeal.
In addition, hostesses who agree to turn their homes into “spas” for such medical procedures are privy to a wide variety of benefits and special offers, including free Botox, skincare products, discounts at the medical spa or a free trial of a new filler. Unfortunately, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and ignore the potential risks.
Why You Should Just Say “No”
To be clear, it’s not the Botox cosmetic treatment itself that you should be weary of. FDA-approved Botox (botulinum toxin) earns the title of top non-surgical cosmetic procedure year after year – and for good reason. A simple injection can soften wrinkles and erase the signs of aging in a matter of days, with minimal risks and side effects.
However, we should not lose sight of the fact that botulinum toxin is, well…a toxin. So, you really can’t afford to risk having it administered by an untrained professional who may not know how much to use, where to use it, and what to do if something should go wrong. Still unconvinced that Botox parties are a bad idea? Let’s take a look at what exactly could go wrong.
What Could Go Wrong?
Botox is largely considered safe and low-risk when administered by a trained medical professional. However, there are some rare complications that can occur when injections are not administered in precisely the right place or dosage.
Serious side effects include muscle weakness, vision problems, trouble speaking, trouble breathing and loss of bladder control – all of which can occur within hours of treatment. These risk factors are often heightened when injections are performed outside of a safe, controlled environment.
- Botox and bubbly don’t mix
Botox parties are held all across the United States, from New York to Arizona. Aside from Botox there’s another substance that unites these gatherings: alcohol. However, medical treatment and alcohol are never a good mix.
Alcohol affects not only our ability to make sound decisions – where to have the injections and how much money to spend on them, for example – but it also thins the blood, causing excessive bleeding and next-day bruising.
For these reasons, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ Code of Ethics bars its member plastic surgeons from performing any procedure in a setting where alcohol is being served.
- Nothing is regulated
Botox can only be administered by a medical doctor or dentist, but there are some instances where a physician’s assistant or a registered nurse may perform the task under the supervision of a doctor. Many times, hostesses aren’t able to find reputable doctors to perform the treatment, so they skirt regulations to get the job done.
At Botox parties, consent and privacy are often overlooked. This alone will scare off legitimate doctors, leaving only less reputable medical personnel from which to choose.
- A waiver is a red flag
There’s a greater risk for medical professionals who deign to administer the treatment outside a sterile environment, so they often require all guests to sign waivers. This effectively absolves the doctor or nurse from any responsibility should something go awry.
In legitimate practices, patients typically have to sign an informed consent document before having Botox injections, but this does not protect doctors from malpractice claims. So, if you sign a waiver, be aware that you are essentially giving up your legal protection as a patient.
- Prepare for peer pressure
Botox parties rely on social relationships and sometimes outright peer pressure to drum up sales. As mentioned, the spa or professional running the operation may offer incentives to the hostesses, who will then coax their friends and acquaintances into spending more. No one should ever feel pressured into a medical procedure.
- Botched jobs and criminal charges
There are scores of instances where unlicensed individuals have been caught illegally injecting Botox, resulting in botched jobs and criminal charges.
Reputable doctors warn against Botox parties as they often see the fallout when asked to fix these botched jobs. They caution that the bungled injections can cause serious complications, and that the risk of contamination is much higher in these unsterile environments.
Is There a Safe Way to Have a Botox Party?
Getting Botox with your girlfriends doesn’t need to be banished. You can still make the treatment a somewhat social occasion without incurring as much risk. The key is to turn the Botox blowout into an intimate get-together and to host it in a controlled, medical environment.
Make sure that a licensed, board-certified plastic surgeon, dermatologist or physician is on board to administer the injections. In some scenarios, a doctor might allow you and a friend or two to come in during off-hours for group treatments. Show up sober, clear-headed, and with a defined budget.
The idea of vegging out with your girlfriends, a glass of wine and some facial injections may sounds like a blast but there are far too many risks associated with this format. If you’re interested in professional Botox treatments that are done above board, we can help you get in touch with a reputable cosmetic doctor in your area. Although parties are fun, ones that throw medical procedures into the mix are best avoided.
