Is It Ok for a Nurse to Inject Juvederm Instead of a Physican?

Although the laws governing who can do cosmetic injections vary by state, most allow physicans to delegate to a medical professional such as a nurse. If the practice has a nurse specialist who does injections all day, she may very well be more experienced than the supervisong physician or another doc who does injections part time. The key variables are training and supervision. Nurses are not allowed to practice independently so if it isn't clear who the responsible MD is, then be wary.

If I had to choose between a nurse with 10 years of daily dermal filler experience and a doctor with 1 year experience, I'd probably go for the more-experienced choice.  

That said, in most cases, a doctor is usually going to have more training and more experience, especially a board certified plastic surgeon since they spend years studying aesthetic medicine and have been reviewed by a panel of their peers (the board) as far as their ethics, artistry and skills.   

Some patients are really cost-concious, but a difference of $100-200 is really worth it to get it done right.  If you compare the results from a pysician who is really skilled and experienced specifically in Juvederm (and injects it daily) vs. a newly-trained nurse or a doctor who practices other types of medicine and recently started injecting, or does occassional injections "on the side," you can almost always tell the difference in my opinion.

The best injectors of fillers, regardless of being a physician or nurse, are those who pay attention to detail, anatomy, and your overall picture and your desires. There are some excellent nurse injectors and some poor physician injectors. Experience is very important as well as an aritistic eye. Understanding the anatomy and the physical properties of the different fillers is important in determining your best treatment. Some states regulate the ability of nurses to do injections differently than other states.

Experience matters. I know of several nurse injectors who are skillful, meticulous and experienced. I also know of some physicians who occassionally perform injections, but do not have much expertise in this area. You need to do your diligence on the experience and performance of the practitioner whether s/he is an RN or an MD.

While I suppose it is Okay to have a nurse inject filler materials, I know if I was the patient, I would want the doctor to do it.

The laws differ from one state to another, however in California, nurses, physician assistants and physicians may inject fillers such as Juvederm, Restylane or Radiesse.
Having said that in my practice I as a Dermatologist do all the injectables.
I think a thorough knowledge of the anatomy is required to do the injectabes right.

The law varies from state to state.
However, my personal opinion is this is an inasive procedure, and a treatment that requires complete knowledge of the anatomy of the facial muscles and nerves and blood vessels. You as a consumer want the Plastic surgeon to treat you and not to delegate your treatment to another person

Many practices employ injectors (Nurses, cosmeticians etc) to inject Botox / Juvederm / Restylane / Perlane etc. Some of these injectors are good, many are average and some - well we won't go there.
I personally believe there is no substitute for excellence and specialization. Just as you should see a Cardiologist, not a Gynecologist or Family Practitioner, for Heart disease and a BMW mechanic, not a GM mechanic, for any BMW issues, you should seek the best when it comes to Injectables.
I firmly believe that Plastic Surgeons have better knowledge and appreciation of the structural Anatomy than non-physicians and therefore would get you better results.
In my practice, I prefer to personally administer all fillers and Botox. I like interacting with my patients and I know my results are better.
Dr. P. Aldea

In the state of Washington, it is OK for a nurse to inject Juvederm and Botox under the guidance of a physician. Some nurses are better than some doctors and it comes down to experience and attention to detail.
To find out if your injector is qualified, check out how many patients that the nurse/doctor has done, if they inject often or just occasionally and do they seek out continuing education.

Rules an regulations regarding who can perform Juvederm injections vary from State to State. It is wise to check with your state nursing board to see what their regulations are. Certainly a well qualified nurse, associated with a Plastic Surgeons office, can do an outstanding job with injections. Experience and training are key.