Injectables may be non-surgical aesthetic procedures, but they are still medical procedures that should only be completed under a trained specialist’s care.
If you are seeking an injectable treatment, we recommend the following guidelines.
- Don’t choose a provider based on price. Injectables are pharmaceutical products, and only qualified clinicians should administer them.
- Make sure you fully understand the risks. Different types of injections come with varying levels of risk. Your risks may also vary depending on your unique circumstance. Your plastic surgeon or specialist should educate you about your inherent risks and benefits during your consultation.
- Fully disclose any medical conditions you might have and any medications you are taking, including vitamins and over-the-counter drugs. This information will help your clinician select the most effective procedure for you with the fewest side-effects.
- Malls and private homes are not medical environments and may be unsanitary. You should only get an injectable treatment in an appropriate setting using sterile instruments. A specialist who is appropriately licensed and trained may perform the injections under a qualified plastic surgeon or dermatologist’s supervision.
- Know what you are being injected with. Disturbing reports of patients being injected with everything from liquid silicone to baby oil and other unapproved products are appearing in the press on a regular basis. Make sure your clinician is using only FDA-approved products purchased within the United States. If he or she refuses to give you this information, seek another clinician.
Below is a helpful checklist to minimize your risks when getting an injectable treatment.
SPECIALIST
My injecting, prescribing, and/or supervising aesthetic surgeon is certified one of these:
- American Board of Plastic Surgery
- American Board of Otolaryngology and American Board of Facial Plastic & * Reconstructive Surgery
- American Board of Ophthalmology with specialization in Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
- American Board of Dermatology with specialization in Cosmetic or Dermatologic Surgery
My injecting, prescribing, and/or supervising aesthetic surgeon is a member of one or more of these groups:
- The Aesthetic Society
- American Society of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons
- American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic Surgeons
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons
- American Society for Dermatologic Surgery
If a nurse or physician’s assistant is completing the injection, all of these things are true:
- I have first seen an aesthetic surgeon whose specialty is defined above.
- My aesthetic plastic surgeon has defined the laws regarding aesthetic injections in the state where I will get my injection.
- I know where the prescribing/supervising aesthetic surgeon will be during my injections.
- The nurse has demonstrated competency in performing injections with a certificate issued by the supervising aesthetic surgeon professional specialty organization (one of the below):
- The Aesthetic Society
- American Society of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons
- American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic Surgeons
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons
BRAND
All of these statements are true:
- My injector has defined the FDA-approved BRAND or BRANDs of cosmetic injectables recommended for me.
- My injector has shown me the BRAND packaging identifying the injectable that he or she will inject into me is a genuine product.
- My injector has written the FDA-approved BRAND or BRANDs of injectables on my informed consent documents and in my medical chart.
SAFETY
All of these statements are true:
- My injector will perform my injections in a medical office or a medical spa whose medical director meets all of the statements above about my aesthetic surgeon.
- I am not intoxicated or under the influence of a controlled substance when my injector performs my injections.
- I feel safe and at ease with my injector.
- My injector has taken me through the informed consent process, defining where the injections will be, the brand of injections, the potential risks or complications, and considerations for alternative treatments that may meet my aesthetic goals.
- I will follow all the post-treatment instructions and follow-up with my surgeon or injector as prescribed.
BEAUTY
All of these statements are true:
- I can clearly define the areas of my facial appearance I hope to improve with injectables.
- My injector has analyzed the areas of my face I hope to improve with injectables and my facial appearance overall and recommended the options available to me to meet my goals.
- I understand the expected duration of my results and that if I do not repeat injections, my facial appearance will return to its prior condition.
- I understand that minor swelling, bruising, or redness for a few days after my injections is a normal occurrence.