A few people have recently told us
that they have been offered ‘bargain BOTOX®’ and whether or not we recommend
they take this offer up. We believe that
if you’re considering BOTOX®, the first step would be to educate yourself in advance.
If you’re well-informed, you can help to
safeguard the safety of your treatment and ultimately your on-going
satisfaction with the results. Further
to this, we have drawn up some pointers on how we recommend you carry out your
research and which questions you should ask:
Choosing Your Provider
Ask around,
research friends who have had BOTOX® and who are happy with the results. Also find out what people are saying on-line.
If a provider has a website or on-line presence, check it to see what advice
they give, what Associations they belong too and the experience they have. Most importantly check they are regulated by
CQC. Once you have a short-list of providers/a provider in mind, call them and
ask some simple questions (even if you know the answers, you will get a good
understanding of their practice/attitude from this simple action)
- What is
BOTOX®
- How does BOTOX® work?
- Is it dangerous?
- How long does the procedure take?
- Does the procedure hurt?
- Will it take affect straight away?
- How long will one injection last?
- How much is a procedure?
- Do they provide complimentary consultations?
- How soon can I have an appointment?
Once you
have your shortlist of providers, make an appointment for your consultation and
ask your provider the following questions:
·
Do they believe you are a genuine candidate for BOTOX®
and why?
·
Is the person administering your treatment fully
qualified and experienced? (Ask for proof)
·
How long have they been injecting BOTOX®?
·
Do they use BOTOX®? If not Which brand of
product do they use and why?*
·
Can they show you the vial and the ‘date’ before
treatment?
·
Can you see some testimonials?
* BOTOX® is
the purest form of Botulinum Toxin for cosmetic injection. It is supplied to us only
by Allergan, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. It is also the only product called or allowed to be called BOTOX®. There are a number of alternative products that
can also be used for muscle relaxing, however these are not BOTOX® but relaxing
drugs that do not have the same properties, dilutions or attributes that BOTOX®
has. These can cause unwanted side effects
such as migration outside of the treatment area. If you want to use another muscle relaxing
product then research that, but do not confuse it with BOTOX®.
What Should You Pay?
Firstly, we would like to say that you should
never make your mind up on who provides your
BOTOX® treatments by the cost
alone. Always make your final decision
on the quality of the provider. The fact
is that everyone pays the same price for BOTOX from Allergan; which begs the
question, how can prices vary so much? There
are a few factors, but a lot depends on “reconstitution”.
Although you
may think you are getting a full capsule of BOTOX®, you need to know the
percentage of saline with the units of actual BOTOX®. Some providers who add more saline than
suggested by the manufacturer, are giving you a less effective injection of
BOTOX®; unfortunately this is not uncommon. So no matter where you go for BOTOX®, another
question to ask is: “What is your reconstitution ratio?” and remember this will
be different with other products and there are few direct parallels.
Botox Pricing By The Area
Some providers
quote a price based on a particular area, so besides your reconstitution
question you need to ask, “How many units do you inject in that area?” And that
begs the next question; what is their definition of an “area”? This varies, for example; one provider may
state a set price per area, but may be actually breaking up that area into two
areas when other providers consider it one area. So you need to clarify this in
advance.
Our Policy
At the
Royal Tunbridge Wells Skin & Laser Clinic we charge by area, and there are three
areas. For “Baby Botox” we charge by the unit for BOTOX®, so you only pay for
the exact number of units you receive. Men
always need more product than ladies, so there will be a price difference. Also,
we follow the Allergan’s guidelines on reconstitution exactly, so you are
assured of the efficacy of the product. Our
practitioners will confirm whether you’re a good candidate for BOTOX® and
discuss which areas on your face to treat to best meet your concerns. We will also tell you how many units of BOTOX®
you will need to ensure the results are satisfactory, and then give you an
exact cost.
We hope this
has helped you in your quest. Remember,
this is not a haircut or facial, this is a medical procedure that needs to be
thought about carefully in advance. With
that in mind, your BOTOX® procedure should provide you with amazing results!
If you would
like to short-list us, why not have a tour of our clinic first - without
obligation - just to get ‘a feel’ for the place and the staff, before making any
decisions. This is always available at the
Royal Tunbridge Wells Skin & Laser Clinic; in fact we just love to show-off our premises to prospective
new clients.
Labels: Botox
Ask around,
research friends who have had BOTOX® and who are happy with the results. Also find out what people are saying on-line.
If a provider has a website or on-line presence, check it to see what advice
they give, what Associations they belong too and the experience they have. Most importantly check they are regulated by
CQC. Once you have a short-list of providers/a provider in mind, call them and
ask some simple questions (even if you know the answers, you will get a good
understanding of their practice/attitude from this simple action)