- 40% of Consumers Are Unsure Whether Botox Parties Are Safe
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New survey suggests that consumers are naïve to the risk of Botox parties and the importance of FDA approval for cosmetic injectables.
Survey also reveals less than 5% trust magazines or advertising for treatment information
May 14, 2008 - The Physicians Coalition for Injectable Safety and the health and beauty community RealSelf.com today released findings of a joint survey reporting that 40% of consumers are unsure whether Botox parties are safe, and only 58% of consumers feel FDA approval of an injectable is important to safety. “It’s frightening to think that with the proliferation of information available on cosmetic injectables like Restylane or Botox, consumers are naïve to the most important issues of safety,” said coalition leader Renato Saltz, MD of Salt Lake City, UT. “The survey results do suggest that trust in qualified, board-certified physicians is high,” said Dr. Saltz. “But clearly in terms of educating consumers about safe places to accept treatment and the importance of FDA approval for cosmetic injectables, we still have a lot of work to do.”
According to the survey, consumers are as much as four times more likely to trust a board-certified plastic surgeon, facial plastic surgeon, dermatologist or ocular plastic surgeon to administer cosmetic injectables, than “any” doctor, nurse, physician’s assistant or aesthetician. The survey validates the trust consumers have in these specialty physicians to provide cosmetic injectables like Restylane, Botox, and Juvederm, reporting that 54.5% of those surveyed trust doctor recommendations, whereas, 4.6% trust magazines and only 1.5% trust advertising.
Consumer reviews of cosmetic treatments were considered “important” information sources for researching cosmetic injectables by 80.3% of those surveyed. “It’s interesting to note that traditional means of disseminating beauty information or promoting products among women – magazines and advertising – are not trusted when it comes to information about these cosmetic medical procedures,” stated Thomas Seery, president and founder of RealSelf.com, a site that includes consumer reviews and provides a forum for consumer questions about cosmetic treatments.
The survey, conducted in March and April, 2008 is limited to a population of consumers with interest in cosmetic medicine and should not be considered projectable to all consumers. The summary of survey findings can be found at http://www.injectablesafety.org/downloads/051408consumersurvey.pdf.
The Coalition offers consumers these very simple questions to ask before considering any cosmetic injectable procedure:
* Doctor: Is the injectable recommended by a qualified doctor who regularly treats similar conditions, in an appropriately licensed and equipped medical facility? Has the doctor examined the prospective patient before recommending treatment?
* Brand: Is the injectable recommended approved by the U.S. FDA for cosmetic indications and is it appropriately labeled and packaged to reflect its authenticity and approval?
* Safety: Is the setting a proper medically-equipped office, with safety and sterilization procedures? Has the physician evaluated conditions, recommended treatment, offered alternatives and clearly defined the potential outcomes including any complications?
To learn specifically the FDA approved brands of cosmetic injectables and their benefits, and to see video of live, appropriately administered injectables as well as real patient stories from injectable parties and more visit www.injectablesafety.org and http://www.realself.com/Injectable-fillers/info.
About Us
The Physicians Coalition for Injectable Safety is an alliance of specialty physician organizations including the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. The mission of the Coalition is to provide the public with unbiased and necessary information on injectable cosmetic treatments, appropriate injectors and where to safely access cosmetic medical procedures. Our goal is to promote treatment supervised by properly qualified and trained, board-certified doctors and to promote only the use of U.S. FDA-approved, appropriately administered product. More information can be found at www.injectablesafety.org.
About ASAPS
The 2400-member American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), founded in 1967, is the leading professional organization of plastic surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery who specialize in cosmetic plastic surgery. With 2,100 members in the U.S., Canada, and many other countries, ASAPS is at the forefront of innovation in aesthetic plastic surgery around the world.
About AAFPRS
The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is the world’s largest specialty association that represents over 2,700 facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons throughout the world. The AAFPRS is a National Medical Specialty Society of the American Medical Association (AMA), and holds an official seat in both the AMA House of Delegates and the American College of Surgeons board of governors. AAFPRS members are board certified surgeons whose focus is surgery of the face, head, and neck.
About ASOPRS
The American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery represent surgeons qualified in plastic surgery of the eyelids and surrounding facial structures. Fellows of the Society are board certified in ophthalmology, have completed fellowships in ocular surgery (currently two years), and perform aesthetic, plastic, and reconstructive surgery of the face, orbits, eyelids, and lacrimal system.
About RealSelf.com
RealSelf.com is a health and beauty community that makes it easy to discover which beauty products and cosmetic procedures are worth it and which are not. In addition to offering consumers one convenient place to find reviews, beauty tips and opinions, RealSelf.com provides medical and beauty experts with a free online profile and a simple way to share insights in their own voice. RealSelf.com is a privately-held company based in Seattle. Investors include Richard Barton, CEO of Zillow.com and former CEO/founder of Expedia, Bill Gossman, CEO of Revenue Sciences and Nick Hanauer, Vice Chairman of Board of Directors at Marchex.