The following post is written by Debra Sullivan, PA-C and Owner of Newtown MediSpa. In 2012, Debra opened Newtown MediSpa offering a new concept in wellness that combines beauty, wellness, and pampering. Today, with locations in both Newtown & Fairfield, Debra enjoys educating clients about their skin and recommending personalized products and treatments.The below post focuses on Botox.
Whenever I go out for a girls night, it seems like the same questions are always asked of me:
- How are the kids doing in school?
- How is the husband?
- When is the MediSpa running a Botox special?
The last question is unique to me, being the owner of a MediSpa. It is also a question that I hear more often as more and more people are trying (and loving) Botox.
What is Botox? Botox is a FDA-approved cosmetic muscle relaxer that helps diminish and smooth our forehead lines, crows feet and those “angry 11” lines in-between your eyebrows. Botox lasts for 3-4 months, and the cost to treat an area is much less expensive over that time period when compared to getting a mani/pedi. (Bi-monthly mani/pedi = $65 x 8 times in four months = $520; Botox= $280).
So back to the “Specials” question. Yes, we do run periodic specials. (be sure to get on our email list or check out our Instagram or Facebook page to see our current specials). We try to make it affordable to maintain your Botox treatment, however I wanted to write this article to educate and warn others to beware of specials that are “too good to be true”… because they usually are.
Botox is a brand name and is owned by the company Allergan. Allergan sells directly to a medical spa practice. Some practices have, in the recent past, been caught buying Botox on the black market. This comes from overseas and is NOT legal to sell in this country. The black market Botox is not regulated by the FDA and you cannot be sure that you are getting actual Botox in the bottle. There are other botulinum toxins that are not meant for human injection!
Botox also degrades rapidly after it is reconstituted (after the saline is added to the bottle for injection). Botox should be used within 24 hours of reconstitution, yet there are practices that sell it after 2 weeks in the refrigerator! This Botox will work but will not last for the 3-4 months that it should. To me, selling degraded, old Botox is completely unethical.
Juvederm and other HA Fillers (hyaluronic acids that are injected into the face to smooth fine lines and wrinkles and to help give a liquid face lift) are also FDA regulated, yet again, are being purchased on the black market. There are reports of empty syringes being filled with gels and substances other than hyaluronic acid, (in one case, cooking oil!), re-sold and then injected into a face! Finding a Juvederm special online or on Groupon that seems too good to be true usually is.
So how do you know what you are getting and how do you protect yourself?
- Go to Botox.com or Juvederm.com and click on “find a provider”. If you put in your zip code, it will provide you with a list of LEGITIMATE customers of Allergan. These names will also be in order of highest volume. Newtown MediSpa ranks in the TOP 1% in the nation for Botox and Juvederm products. That means we do more injections than 99% of the practices in the USA!
- Go to an office that is a high volume Botox practice. This will ensure that you are not getting “old” Botox. This will also insure that the provider you are going to, has adequate experience in the art of Botox and fillers.
- Check the label! It is your right to see the Botox bottle and look for the hologram showing it is a legitimate Allergan product. If the writing on the bottle is in a foreign language, you should NOT be treated.
- Look for an office who has been awarded Platinum or Diamond status (Newtown MediSpa has both). This represents the highest accolade given by Allergan to an office.
- Find a provider who has had Master Injector training and who has a Physician Trainer on staff. Newtown MediSpa’s Debra Sullivan is an ACE trainer for Botox, Juvederm and Kybella, training other PA’s, Physicians and APRN’s.)
- Make sure your provider is an artist. Ask to see before and after pictures. Facial aesthetics is truly an art. Your provider needs more than the educational knowledge of how to inject. They need the artistic ability of where to inject. It is not cookie cutter science. Every face is different. Seek out someone who will appreciate the beauty of yours.
- Make sure you are paying for what you are receiving. MANY offices charge “by the area” of Botox instead of telling you how many units you are actually receiving. This is deceiving as you may be treated “just enough” for the product to work but are being overcharged for what you are getting. ASK HOW MANY UNITS you received and figure out the price per unit.
- Make sure you are being treated appropriately but not “too much”. Be wary of practices that sell filler as a “package of 4”. Again, every face is different and you may need only one or two. Remember, it is better to go slow with your fillers. You can always add more later on. You want others to notice that you look “refreshed”, “less tired” but cannot put their finger on just what was done.
Above all, Newtown MediSpa will always maintain the highest level of ethics. The Botox and Fillers will be fresh, purchased from an FDA-approved company, and you will get exactly what you pay for. Yes, we have specials from time to time as well as a Monthly Botox Club, offering fair prices to help it to be affordable for all. We also have providers that have all been trained and designated as “Master injectors” and who appreciate the art of aesthetics.
Another important thing to remember about any aesthetic treatment is to Trust the Process! With any aesthetic treatment, there is a process. Whether you are new to aesthetic treatments, or are an old pro, it’s always good to have your provider perform a complimentary consultation.
Why you ask? It’s important to understand what treatments are out there and how they can help you reach your aesthetic goals. We are all different and aesthetic treatments aren’t “ONE SIZE FITS ALL”. Each client will need different treatments, treatment frequency and products to achieve their goals!
During the consultation, our expert nurse or physician assistants will perform a skin/facial analysis, answer questions, offer advice, discuss budget, and define a treatment plan to help you reach your goals.
It’s also important to understand that achieving your aesthetic goals are not a ONE-SHOT deal. Often times this can require multiple treatments, touch-ups, spaced out over several weeks or months, resulting in amazing results. So, trust the process…it’s totally worth it.
ABOUT NEWTOWN MEDISPA
Newtown MediSpa was designed to provide top-quality aesthetic treatments, in a warm and charming environment. We believe patient peace of mind is critical to successful treatment and, as a result, we’ve done everything to make you feel safe and right at home from the minute you arrive. As a national leader in the aesthetics industry, Newtown MediSpa is in the Top 1% of aesthetic practices nationwide, was awarded the My Face My Body Aesthetic Practice of the Year for the Northeast and named to the Ultimate 100 Global Aesthetic Leaders list. To learn more about Newtown MediSpa and the treatments we offer, check out our website and join our email list to take advantage of the best practice in the business.
Locations:
Newtown Fairfield
32 Church Hill Road, Suite 114 1499 Post Road, Suite 4
Newtown, CT 06470 Fairfield, CT 06824
203-304-9725 203-802-6334