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Is It Possible I Had Fake Juvederm Injected into my Lips?

asked 11 months ago by simpson_1234 in San Diego, ca
Latest answer by Ronald Shelton, MD
Question viewed 530 times
Tags: lips, fake look

I had Juvederm previously by a reputable plastic surgeon and loved it. He is in Beverly Hills though and I wanted to go somewhere local.Today I had my lips injected at a Med spa by a nurse. Everything was great, she took her time and they look fantastic. I am worried because it only cost $299. This seems REALLY cheap! Is there any way this could be a fake product? I didn't ask to see the syringe. I am worried about the long term effects if this is not real Juvederm. Do fake products exist?

16 answers to Is It Possible I Had Fake Juvederm Injected into my Lips?

There are bootleg versions of fillers out there, so beware.

Wow, $299 for a syringe of Juvederm is not much over what it costs. Yes, there are bootleg versions of Juvederm, Restylane, Botox, Perlane and others that come in from canada and elsewhere. You'd have to ask the medispa where and from whom, they buy their Juvederm. Here, in Beverly Hils, we charge $575 for a syringe of Juvederm to the lips and what you paid is close to our cost for that syringe. Not sure how someone could charge that, using Juvederm from Medicis,... more

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

drfrancispalmer.com

Juvederm at prices too good to believe

Of course one cannot say for sure whether you were injected with fake Juvederm but the prices seem too good to believe. I would hope that at the very least they either injected you with less than a normal syringe worth of Juvederm, a substitute hyaluronic acid, or Juvederm obtained from outside the U.S.. My advice is in the future to make sure you are seeing a reputable licensed medical doctor who is experienced in the field of aesthetic medicine.

Ted Brezel, MD
Long Island Dermatologist

Fake Juvederm? It is possible!

The possibility does exist that you had a product that was not made by Allergan, the manufacturer of Juvederm. Juvederm can also be purchased in a 0.4cc syringe, which is less expensive and can be used for lips. You want to make sure you look at the unopened packaging before you have treatment to verify the manufacturer.

Chris Nichols, MD
Tacoma Plastic Surgeon

Fake Juvederm or perhaps a small syringe

You could have had a bootleg Juvederm syringe (0.8 cc), usually purchased from outside the U.S. and probably not really Juvederm OR you may have received a 0.4 cc syringe of Juvederm, which does sell for less. In Orange County dermatologists and plastic surgeons who use these small syringes usually charge $300-400 for them, so $299 at a med spa would not be surprising. In the future however I would seek out a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon/facial plastic... more

Lorrie Klein, MD
Laguna Niguel Dermatologic Surgeon

www.ocdermatology.com

Fake fillers do exist

While I would never claim and believe that a medical professional would inject a non-FDA approved product into a fellow human being, It seems beyond belief that someone would loose money injecting Juvederm which costs more than $300/syringe to the physician into your lips. Yes, there are over 50 different fillers available worldwide and yes they can be illegally obtained in the USA. Therefore, when getting ANY medical procedure, make sure you are going to a licensed medical doctor who you... more

Mitchel Goldman, MD
San Diego Dermatologic Surgeon

Juvederm too inexpensive?

They may be offering it as marketing to get new customers through the door. Are they reusing a syringe that was partially used? Even if a new needle is placed, that should never be done!!! Are they using a product they obtained from overseas and even though it is Juvederm, it is not the FDA approved Juvederm? Yes there are different fillers, some not approved and probably some fake, so only use FDA approved products in the U.S. As you are happy with their treatment and may consider going... more

Ronald Shelton, MD
Manhattan Dermatologist

Fake Juvederm?

First of all, I'm glad you had a good experience both times and are happy with your results. If you are worried, I'd recommend you just have a conversation with the nurse who injected you. $299 is very inexpensive but before you start worrying, there may be a reasonable explanation. You should always feel comfortable having an open and honest conversation with any health care provider you work with. Dr. Cat Begovic M.D.

Catherine Huang-Begovic, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Juvederm

You cannot be too careful. That is a very inexpensive treatment and the nurse cannot possibly sustain a practice charging less than the product costs. You can certainly ask if that would make you feel better. There are serial numbers on all syringes and the number for the one you had injected would be in your records.

Melanie L. Petro, MD
Alabama Facial Plastic Surgeon

Fake Injections

There is no way for us to know if "fake" Juvederm was injected or if you were injected with another product. However, the price you paid is less that the cost of Juvederm from Allergan. So, I am suspicious. It is very important for patients to be proactive in their care and to make sure you ask the appropriate questions before being injected. You should make sure that you are being injected by a board certified and qualified injector. In my practice, I... more

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

www.ShaferPlasticSurgery.com

Anythings possible but...

Anything is possible but do not let worry ruin the results that you sound like you like. Firstly, next time do not go to a spa because you really don't know who will be injecting you and should go to someone that you know is well trained. That being already done, you are lucky that you like the result but don't test your luck again. Bad things can happen. As far as the price goes, some fillers can be had for a good price when bought in bulk or from out of country and if this is a... more

Jo Herzog, MD
Birmingham Dermatologist

Fake Juvederm?

It is sad that we have to worry about counterfeit medications. I have heard of "black market" product being sold on the internet so it does seem to exist. I must admit I have had concerns when spas offer such outrageously low prices. You can protect yourself by going to legitimate licensed medical professionals. Ask for the credentials of those you allow to treat you before you are treated. At this point, after being treated, you may be able to quiet... more

Susan Van Dyke, MD
Paradise Valley Dermatologist

Fake Juvederm?

There are fake products out that are sometimes used in place of the real thing. There are legitimate medical spas with onsite plastic surgeons. Contact this medical spa and ask to speak to the medical director. In the future, check out the physician owner of the medical spa before having a treatment

Michael Law, MD
Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon

michaellawmd.com

Is It Possible I Had Fake Juvederm Injected into my Lips?

Either it was a subsitute HA or you got the deal of the century. Juvederm cost for 1 syringe is in the $180 to $250 range, so the net profit could have been $69 to $49. Unless you received only a partial syringe instead of a full one. Med Spas are known for cutting corners and trying to have multiple spending events while you are there. Did they try to bundle other services to you? If yes than they where trying to catch you into spending more but you did not. So you may have won. If you... more

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Be careful of too-good-to-be-true deals with Juvederm or other products

If you truly got a full syringe of real Juvederm at that price, I would be most worried that the Med Spa you got it at will soon be out of business, because they won't be able to survive on such a small margin for very long. Juvederm bought in quantity can be bought for lower prices from Allergan, but even so, $299 retail is extremely low. So that begs your question of whether or not it was some copy-cat, cheapo product. Maybe. Another possibility... more

Douglas J. Mackenzie, MD
Santa Barbara Plastic Surgeon

Fake juvederm

Anything is possible including the source of the Juvederm. I am always being offered discount fillers the are not from the real source. Go back and ask that question at the spa. Pricing deals are always out there. Use a reputable physician next time.

David A. Bray, Sr., MD
Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

Check for the lot number tag on your treatment record

The security features on BOTOX® and Juvéderm® packaging and products, and the very professional security staff at Allergan, greatly reduce the risk that you will get couterfeit versions of their products. Major competitors like Medicis also have quite good security features and systems. A greater risk is that you will the victim of "bait-and-switch" -- where you might be led to believe that you were going to be treated with Juvéderm® or Restylane®,... more