Beware DIY Botox

We are all constantly looking for ways to reverse the ageing process and now experts are warning of buying DIY Botox kits over the internet. Which? managed to get hold of a kit of Botox powder and needles without prescription on eBay for under $100.

This has raised alarm the procedure, which is a medical one, could be carried out by people with no training or experience in their own home, leading to all kinds of complications. The warning is stark - Botox is a poison and if injected into the wrong places could have very serious and harmful effects. Botox is commonly injected into the forehead and face to iron out wrinkles.

According to consultant plastic surgeon Nicholas Parkhouse, from the McIndoe Surgical Centre: "The idea of self-administration is absolutely crackers. The effects of the botulinum depend on getting tiny amounts into exactly the right place." He warned that if the poison was injected incorrectly, it could seriously weaken eye muscles and cause eyelids to droop, which is exactly the opposite of the required effect.

He went on to add that it the procedure was completely different from injecting insulin as an example, and that specialised knowledge was crucial to make the treatment work properly. Following the report in Which?, the kits were removed from the internet site.

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