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New GDC Rules about Dentists, Botox and Remote Prescribing

Falling inline with the General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the GDC have now issued guidelines against remote prescribing of Botox by dentists.

In fact, the statement issued in October forebade remote prescribing for the provision of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in any form. The prescription or administration of Botox or injectable cosmetic medicinal products falls under this category.

Until this stage, whilst reputable organisations and training centres like Cosmetic Courses would have generally advised against dentists becoming involved in such practices, there was grey area as to whether their counselling body specifically ruled against remote prescribing or not.

As such, concerns had arisen that some registrants may be using remote prescribing inappropriately. There have also been reports of networks of dental clinics which have started offering aesthetic treatments (Botox and dermal fillers etc.) with aesthetic nurses obtaining their product under the remote prescription of particular dentists: this will now have to be re-evaluated as all patients being treated with the product require consultation with the actual practitioner providing the prescription.

If you need advice about remote prescribing, your eligibility to obtain product after training or about Botox training in general, Cosmetic Courses will be delighted to help. We have a number of Botox training courses for dentists and can advise about how the GDC announcement may effect you and your clinic. Simply call 0845 230 4110.

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Botox Sales & Botox Training Courses in UK Economic Crisis – The Outlook is Good!

Positive Prospects for those looking to Botox Training

Article by Sarah Brechon (Cosmetic Courses)

As the Financial Times announce a rapid increase in Botox sales in Europe,  Botox training courses at Cosmetic Courses have also risen throughout the year. These encouraging statistics (illustrated by the graph on the left) show that, despite the continuing economic crisis, all is not doom and gloom in the world of aesthetic medicine.

This is very positive news for medical professionals considering botox training as an option for their futures.

But surely the findings are also surprising: why would people be turning to aesthetic treatments at a time when many are having to make cuts on their weekly food shop and worrying about fuel or home expenses?  In a statement to the Financial Times, chief executive David Pyott of Botox manufacturer Allergan revealed that beauty is so deeply embedded into the culture of today’s Europeans that many would prefer to make sacrifices in other areas (even those many would consider everyday necessities) than give up their Botox habit.

Whatever the reasoning, this is undoubtedly good news for aesthetic medical professionals considering their employment options. At leading UK aesthetic training provider Cosmetic Courses, numbers of delegates booking onto the foundation level Botox training course have been on a steady increase all year. This introductory level Botox training course is the first step for medical professionals looking to begin their medical aesthetic career before going on to the Advanced Level training (Fillers and more complex Botox techniques), tailored 1-1 modules or courses in other aesthetic methods like Dermaroller Therapy or Skin Peels.

Asked why she thinks so many medical professionals have entered medical aesthetic training in 2011, despite the economic crisis, Cosmetic Courses manager Rachael Langford replied:

“They’re worried about the current problems in the NHS. One woman we spoke to yesterday  wants to start her family in 2 or 3 years but her current medical career wouldn’t allow for it. She felt that doing Botox training alongside would give her the option. Similarly, people coming up to retirement want to do Botox training to ease up their normal hours in the NHS. Working ridiculously long hours to rigid schedules can be far more draining than any economic crisis – Botox training can provide the chance of a better quality of life with more time to do what you want around your working hours.”

Registered medical professionals from all over the world can come and train with leading UK Botox training providers Cosmetic Courses. As well as Botox training, Cosmetic Courses provide a wide range of other courses (including Dermal Fillers, Genuine Dermaroller Therapy, Skin Peels, 1-1 Tailored Tuition and more).  You can book your training course online using our secure form and payment system or call 0845 230 4110.

For more information, please visit www.cosmeticcourses.co.uk or email [email protected]

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Botox Training Marketing | What to do after your course

How To Market Your New Medical Aesthetics Business | Botox Training Marketing

After you complete your botox training or dermal filler course, you will naturally be raring to go and get started with setting up your own medical aesthetics business. However, one of the main hurdles to jump over in making a success of your medical aesthetic business is the way in which you market yourself. In this Blog, Cosmetic Courses share some Tips for Botox Training Marketing:

1. Print Advertising

Most new aesthetic practitioners initially start with print advertising (local newspapers, fliers, maybe even cheaper local glossy magazines). Whilst this approach may work for some people, it is quite an outdated method of medical aesthetics marketing and can prove very expensive if not approached smartly and monitored carefully. Traditional print advertising essentially falls into ‘local’ and ‘nationwide’ audiences but the average start-up business will be aiming at the local publications to begin with. Even here, where the advertising costs are cheaper, our advice is that there is always room for negotiation: do not take the advertising cost quoted in the publication or by the sales rep. as gospel – be prepared to haggle, stand your ground and you will find that you can get a real bargain (especially just before print closes). Research your desired client’s demographic very carefully and make sure that the publications you are advertising in really are aimed at them or the response could be poor / made up of timewasters. Always ask the readership of the publication to see how many people it actually goes out to (some which seem like a great offer actually have a tiny readership so your chances of getting much work from them are slim). And check out the legal implications before handing out fliers – at local events, for example, you may need to get permission from your local authority (and are very unlikely to be able to specifically advertise medical aesthetic treatments, so be careful not to violate any trading standards!)

2. Online Advertising

Much more of-the-moment and with (potentially) the ability to reach a far bigger audience at once, online advertising for medical aesthetics has become increasingly popular with aesthetic practitioners. You can set up a free medical aesthetics website relatively easily these days if you are fairly tech-savvy, or for a small price if you need to get help. However: please do be warned that this is just the start of the process. There are hundreds upon hundreds of websites out there advertising medical aesthetic services…the challenge is to get yours indexed and found by anyone searching on the big search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing etc.) This is a process known as SEO and involves clever use of keywords (the most commonly used words related to your industry that potential customers are searching at any given time), regularly creating and updating content (information, photos, blogs, maybe videos and social media usage linked to your site can really help you get increased rank and visibility quicker too). If all this sounds like complete gobbledygook to you then chances are that you may have a bit of learning to do before you embrace this form of marketing, or you might need to employ someone to help. This is, of course, a Catch 22 as you need to be earning before you can start employing! Do not be put off, though – there are abundant sources of helpful information about SEO and optimizing your site for the search engines…particularly good ones are SEOmoz and Mashable. If you just want to advertise without getting too involved with any of that nitty-gritty stuff, online sites like Gumtree provide quick and easy access to large numbers of potential clients and have options ranging from completely free – approximately £49 per week depending upon your region and the level of visibility that you want for your advert.

3. Word of Mouth

It may be horribly boring, but building up a great reputation via word-of-mouth really is a great way to build yourself a client base. The trouble is that it’s a slower approach than most medical aesthetics practitioners like. Start off with friends, family…anybody who would like botox and dermal filler treatments from you. Encourage them to spread the word. Perhaps offer a ‘refer a friend’ scheme where for each entirely new client who refers a friend, they get a small discount off their next treatment. If you have Social Media pages like Facebook and LinkedIn, encourage clients to leave reviews / endorsements. Try to form a link with an established business, perhaps, like a hair salon or existing medical aesthetics clinic (at least initially). Even if you ideally hope to be independent or freelance, this could be a good stepping stone to get reviews, spread the word about your new talents, link-build and hopefully create a client base. Whilst we never advocate stealing clients from another business (this is simply dishonest and poor practice), the networking that you do whilst working alongside others can help you greatly when you branch off alone.

Final Words of Wisdom for Botox Training Marketing

  • Whatever your method of marketing, always remember to ask “Where did you find us / hear about us?” It is vital that you do this consistently or your marketing efforts are wasted because you have no idea what is bringing clients in and what is not, so you could be spending money on completely the wrong types of marketing.
  • Get into the habit of taking down contact details from every enquirer, whether they book or not. These will form the basis of your ‘marketing database’ – a list of emails, addresses and phone numbers that you can use to sell to in the future on an ongoing basis. Remember that once you have these and as you add to the list, you have a responsibility under Data Protection to look after these details, not to spam them with constant heavy sales pitches and to always give them the option to ‘opt out’ of future promotions.
  • Remember that saying the words ‘Botox’ or ‘Botulinum Toxin’ in a sales-orientated manner violates MHRA standards. So always be careful to use alternatives like ‘wrinkle-reducing treatment’ or ‘anti-ageing injections’ instead!
  • Words are everything – keep track of the language you are using, split test and be prepared to vary it. If something isn’t bringing in clients, change it and try saying it in a different way.

We hope this Botox Training Marketing Blog has been helpful. Cosmetic Courses are market leaders in both Cosmetic Training Courses for medical professionals and providing medical aesthetic marketing advice. If you would like more information about training with us, Book Online now or call our friendly team on 0845 230 4110.

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Can I start my Cosmetic Courses training at Advanced Level if I am an experienced nurse, doctor or surgeon?

I am already an experienced doctor or surgeon: can I skip the foundation level course?

At Cosmetic Courses, we frequently receive enquiries from potential delegates wanting to know whether they can skip the foundation level medical aesthetic training (botulinum toxin training with an introduction to dermal fillers) and go straight to the advanced level techniques (such as brow lift, Nefertiti neck lift, platysmal bands, hyperhidrosis etc.) This question is usually posed by doctors or even surgeons who are very highly qualifed, so feel that the foundation course might be too simple for them and cover ground they already know.

However, we do strongly believe that all our medical professional delegates, regardless of sector or experience, need to start with the Foundation course. This is not to say that the Foundation course you do cannot be tailored specifically to your level and ability. We have good logic for this reasoning, which we shall explain in this Blog:

  1. Although you may be very experienced within your own field, medical aesthetics is quite a different approach (technically and theoretically) to other medical professions. Quite often it is the most highly trained doctors who find they need to go over the groundwork in skin structure again! Sometimes you might have covered the necessary theories, but a long time ago during your initial degree or you may have approached them at a different angle to the way you will need them for aesthetics. Having a refresher can only benefit your understanding and ability to deliver fantastic results to your patients.
  2. There is a much wider gap between the Foundation Level course and the Advanced Techniques course than many initial enquirers realise. It is only when we begin to explain the extent of the techniques and theories that we cover on this course that they see there may actually be a need for some homework in between the two in order to be confident enough with the required theory and methods to achieve good results. In fact, many of our delegates choose to attend 1-1 courses with Cosmetic Courses in between their Foundation and Advanced courses, to brush up on techniques they are unsure of before taking the next big step.
  3. Cosmetic Courses do actually certify you in competence after each course so we have a duty to know that each of our delegates have the Foundation grounding in place before we can progress you to the next level. Whilst the vast majority of our delegates are entirely honest, highly qualified and skilled practitioners, there are always those who will try to claim they have more ability than they do. Therefore, we have to assess this level of medical aesthetic competence in order to be sure that we are certifying fantastic injectors to go out into the world and practice!
  4. Cosmetic Courses have a reputation for excellence and very high standards of training. This benefits you in that the delegates we train are also associated with high standards of medical aesthetic ability. In order to maintain this, however, we need to be very rigorous about our training procedures and ensure that everybody follows each step of the courses.
  5. We do not want anybody to be frustrated, however, by material which they already feel they know or to believe that they are wasting time and money. Please be assured that Cosmetic Courses are experts at tailoring courses to suit individuals’ needs. If you feel that you are at a higher level than a typical Foundation Level delegate, simply give us a call on 01844 390 110 and explain your experience and knowledge. We can then work with you to put together a tailored foundation level package incorporating new angles, theories and techniques or focusing on areas which you feel you are less confident about.
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5 Things to Consider Before Travelling for Training

Coming to the UK for Cosmetic Training Courses? 

If you live in a country outside the UK and have decided to embark upon a career in medical aesthetics, you are probably well aware already that an English certificate in Medical Aesthetics (Botulinum Toxin, Dermal Fillers and other techniques like Genuine Dermaroller Therapy) is seen as, somehow, prestigious.

This could be due to the very rigorous standards of training and the insurance, facilities and product laws here in the UK. Or it could be because the UK is at the fore-front when it comes to new techniques and theory in aesthetic medicine. So you would be choosing a great place to come for your training, not to mention a very beautiful and friendly country.

However, the same rigorous laws and strict policies do mean that there are a number of things you need to take into account if you are considering travelling to the UK for your Botox or Dermal Fillers training. You also need to think carefully about the practicality of returning to your own country afterwards and setting up your cosmetic business – will this industry be sustainable in your native country?

  1. Is your level of English (speaking, listening and reading skills) adequate enough to fully get the most from your cosmetic training course? Medical aesthetic training is not cheap, so it is important that you can fully understand all that is being presented in your training lectures, read the material in any slides or folders and talk to your trainers and models. You will need to be able to communicate with the trainers and models on the day in order to perform successful treatments to be awarded your certificate. It is important to remember that the type of vocabulary used will be technical, medical aesthetic jargon so may not be the basic language you have learned at school or on a linguistics course. You may wish to spend some time before your training revising key terms to help with your training.
  2. Have you arranged your accommodation & sufficient money for your stay? Your training provider may be able to help or advise regarding where to stay. It might be cheaper to try and share with other delegates, or perhaps you have relatives you could stay with? Remember to find out about exchange rates and factor this into your budgeting.
  3. Sort out your VISA in plenty of time if you need one. There is no point arranging and paying for your course, only to find that you cannot get the right type of VISA from your authorities. Your training provider is unlikely to arrange this so it will be your responsibility.
  4. Check about Insurance and Governing Bodies necessary to practise in your own country after training. In the UK, you must be currently GMC, NMC or GDC registered in order to practise. Legislation varies widely from country to country but if you do not follow the correct protocols for your country you may not be able to practise at all….even if you have been certified in the UK. So it is worth finding out about this and the costs involved beforehand.
  5. If you are a nurse considering cosmetic training courses, you also need to find out about prescribing legislation in your country as this varies too. If you are a different medical professional (doctor, dentist etc.) you will still need to consider where you are going to source your products from and the costs involved with this. Again, you may want to consider doing this research before you invest in cosmetic training so that you can be sure your medical aesthetic career is financially viable in your country.

We hope this information has been useful. Cosmetic Courses do train a large number of delegates from non-UK countries every year and can provide help and advice on the necessary process for coming to train in the UK. You can book your course online with us here (if you are abroad, you simply need to send your certificates to us via post or email scan for verification after booking) or call 0845 230 4110 for more advice.

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Advanced Cosmetic Training Courses: Brow Lift Treatments

Advanced Medical Aesthetic Training

So you have completed your Foundation Level Introduction to Botulinum Toxin and Dermal Fillers. You’ve gone away and practiced all you learned and now you’re chomping at the bit to discover more techniques, right?

An Advanced Cosmetic Training Course is the ideal way to pick your basic skills up a level and add procedures like Cheek Sculpting, Platysmal Bands, Brow Lift and Hyperhidrosis to your repertoire. In this Blog, we will discuss the Brow Lift.

Brow Lift Treatment
As we age, gravity causes the eyebrows (brow) to move downwards.  We compensate for this by contracting the muscle which raises the eyebrows.  Contraction of this muscle causes wrinkle lines across the forehead.  Eventually the muscle relaxes and the eyebrows become lower.  This typically makes you look slightly sad and tired.  It can also increase the fold on the upper eyelid making it difficult to apply makeup.

Brow lift treatments are aimed at elevating the eyebrows.  This widens the eyes and makes you look less tired.  After surgery people are often asked if they have been on holiday as they look refreshed.  The effects are subtle and most people will not be able to pinpoint the exact change in you but will notice that you look fresher.

The eyebrow in females should be gently arched with its’ highest point lying 2/3rds of the way out from the centre.  In men the eyebrows are usually flatter and raising them is not usually appropriate as this can make them look slightly surprised.

In the past, the only satisfactory way to perform Brow lifts was with a surgery operation.  This procedure is normally carried out by keyhole surgery.  Small incisions are made within the hairline and the tissue is gently separated allowing the eyebrows to rise.  Most people recover quickly from the procedure and are back at work within 10 days.

Brow Lift Injections
More recently, however, medical aesthetic injection techniques have been used to lift the eyebrows.  Selectively weakening the muscles which pull down the eyebrows (using Botulinum Toxin) will result in them rising.  The muscles which pull down the inner part of the eyebrows cause frowning in the centre of the forehead.  The muscles which pull down the outer part of the eyebrows cause the crows-feet smile lines which occur on the temple on the side of the eye.

Unlike surgery, injections to weaken these muscles can be performed as a quick and easy outpatient procedure. Many people have the treatment during work breaks or at the end of the day.  The effects are not immediate with most people noticing a gradual decrease in the frown and crows feet wrinkles a week following treatment.  This effect last between 4-6 months and will need to be repeated.  Usually after a 3 treatments in a year the muscles relax more permanently and the effect last for longer and longer.

It is important to remember that everybody’s face is different and the consultation process is important to assess which treatment is most suitable for your patient.  This should ideally start with a skin analysis and discussion of the treatments available.

If you are interested in learning Brow Lift injectable techniques and other Advanced Medical Aesthetic Techniques, call Cosmetic Courses Training on 0800 328 5743. Alternatively, you can learn more about our advanced level training on our website.

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Sun Exposure & Flying after Azzalure treatment: Advice for Your Patients

Question:
Dear Cosmetic Courses,
Can you go on holiday to a very hot country 4 days after receiving Azzalure treatment?

The product information says to avoid direct sunlight for a week: how necessary is this and do you have any reassuring advice or tips for patients?

Cosmetic Courses Answer:
Thank you for your really good question about whether you can use Azzalure and then the patient go off on holiday.

Our general advice is that it should be absolutely fine. At Cosmetic Courses, we do get asked questions about people going up in planes following Azzalure treatment but this isn’t really a problem: lots of air stewardess’ have Botox and Dermal Filler treatments.

Regarding sunshine exposure on the small incisions where the needle went in, again we would advise that this is fine but we would advise patients to wear a Clinical-strength sunblock (Cosmetic Courses recommend the Heliocare range for maximum protection) on their face, which they should be doing anyway if they are going to a warm country.

Overall, not a problem at all performing Azzalure on people that are going abroad 4 days later: it is quite commonly performed. Sunblock is a good idea but in the first 74 hours following Azzalure treatment we encourage them to refrain from anything that raises their blood pressure too much, so travelling immediately after the injection wouldn’t be ideal.

Thanks very much for for sending in such an interesting Frequently Asked Question.

The Cosmetic Courses Team

If you are a medical professional interested in training to treat patients in Azzalure, Cosmetic Courses are one of the top UK medical aesthetic training providers. Contact us on 0845 230 4110 to discuss your training with our helpful team.

Or, if YOU have a question you would like our team of experts to answer, why not call our 24/7 Sipgate Helpline on 0870 4907385 for a personalised answer like the one above!

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How do you Know you are Getting the Best?

Are Cosmetic Surgeons the Experts When it Comes to Botox & training?

There was a very interesting debate on the RealSelf forums recently (where you can go to ‘find, share and discuss the real story about any cosmetic surgery treatment’).

A forum user was asking whether they would be better to go and see a Cosmetic Surgeon or Dermatologist (Skin Problem Specialist) for their Botox® injections.

Some of the responses provided by resident forum experts were very interesting.

• It’s all about experience, with Botox® said one US Plastic Surgeon. The “most expert” Botox® specialist can be measured in terms of a Practitioner who has the most anatomical knowledge of the areas which they are treating; which amounts of product work to produce the best-looking, longest-lasting results; how regularly they themselves perform the treatment. He points out that Cosmetic Surgeons are, in a sense, artists and trained to have ‘a good eye’ for what looks natural and effective when performing Botox®…other Skin Care Experts may have a better developed eye for other areas, such as skin abnormalities. In terms of experience, many Board Registered Plastic Surgeons have simply been working in the area far longer and performed more procedures than your average Dermatologist. But he also provides a fantastic quote: “a very experienced Dermatologist would be a better choice than an inexperienced plastic surgeon”.
• Ask about their Allergan Account Level – the same Surgeon gave a great tip that you can guage how regularly a Surgeon (or Dermatologist) is practicing Botox by asking their Allergan account level. “Allergan is the manufacturer of Botox, and has various levels of accounts by doctor or by practice based on how much Botox they are purchasing. Levels include silver, gold, platinum, platinum plus, diamond and then black diamond is the highest, meaning they are in the top 1% of injectors nationwide.”
• Cosmetic Surgeons understand limitations of Botox® says another forum user from Montreal. They have ‘the experience to know when surgical correction is the best treatment in their armatorium of aesthetic tools’ which means they don’t believe Botox® is some magical cure-all. They are therefore more likely to manage patients’ expectations of the results, suggest possible alternative treatments and be realistic about the possibilities which can be achieved with each patient.
• What about Dermatologists? Of course there are those on the thread arguing the flipside. Dermatologist Mitchell Schwartz points out that both Cosmetic Surgeons and Dermatologists are skin specialists. In fact, he says, Botox® treatment was initially developed by a dermatologist and an ophthalmologist.

The big thing they all keep coming back to is experience, experience, experience.

And it got me to thinking…

This forum thread was from a patients’ perspective. But what about delegates: nurses, doctors and dentists interested in training in Botox®?

Is Botox® Training better with a Cosmetic Surgeon?
Surely the same principles apply…

Ideally, you want to train with a company who has team members with a range of experience: not just all cosmetic surgeons, or all doctors, all dentists, Aesthetic Nurses or all dermatologists. You want to take aspects of each of their knowledge and learn from what they can teach you. Unfortunately (probably due to the fact that “birds of a feather flock together”!) a lot of training providers are strongly skewed towards one “type” of team.

At Cosmetic Courses, our Training Team is a real eclectic mix. We have Cosmetic Surgeons, RGNs (Registered General Nurses), Doctors, Medical Aestheticians. The one thing they all have in common is that they are dedicated experts in the field of aesthetic medicine. And they are all headed by a renowned Cosmetic Surgeon: Mr Adrian Richards of Aurora Clinics.

The benefits of Cosmetic Surgeon-led training?

• Expert advice from Mr Adrian Richards, The Daily Mail’s ‘Home Counties Leading Plastic Surgeon’: over 12 years’ international specialist experience in aesthetic medicine with numerous procedures to draw on. Watch him on Youtube to see him in action…his reputation is second to none.
• Receive in-depth marketing and business advice on how to make it big.
• See the bigger picture: put non-surgical procedures like Botox® and dermal fillers into the context of cosmetic surgery as a whole and get advice on assessing your patients in terms of all the possibilities for improving them facially.
• Train in the surroundings of a renowned Cosmetic Surgery clinic with 4 fully-functioning and equipped Clinic rooms: this is our National Cosmetic Training Centre.
• Train at the very most professional level: our training is in no way intimidating (just check out our testimonials section to see all the comments about our friendly team!). But by coming to a Cosmetic Surgeon-led provider, you can rest assured that you will be amongst other doctors, nurses and dentists intent upon getting the very best start to their medical aesthetic career. Training with Mr Richards and his team is intense, comprehensive and, above all, inspirational.

To find out more about Cosmetic Courses’ great range of Cosmetic Surgeon-led training, call us today on 0845 230 4110 and find out why we are the outstanding choice for your medical aesthetic training.

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How do Muscles Cause Wrinkles and Frown Lines?

There is a one vertical Procerus muscle and two Corrugator muscles that cause wrinkles and frowning in the area between the eyebrows.

The frotanus muscle runs upwards from the bridge of the nose and inserts into the skin.

Muscle fibres run upwards along the muscle and, when they contract, this produces shortening of the muscle and a cross line transverse (horizontal line at the upper bridge of the nose).

The Corrugate muscles run upwards and sideways from the bone in the frown area to the skin above the inner aspect of the eyebrow.

When these muscles contract they pull the eyebrows inwards, downwards and cause either vertical or slightly slanted lines on either side of the frown areas.

The muscles run in different directions and therefore the contractions cause lines in different orientation. It is important to know which muscle is responsible for which line when treating the frown area with Botox in order to correctly target the right muscle. In future blog posts we’ll talk about variation in muscles between other people and tell-tale signs if someone has had Botox Therapy.

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Can Botox cause Brain Damage? As Allergan faces continued law suits, should Aesthetic Practitioners be worried?

It is perhaps unsurprising in America’s compensation culture.  A controversial product like Botox is a bit of a sitting duck for legal allegations and, in April this year, manufacturers Allergan found themselves at the centre of exactly such a court battle.

After claiming that Botox injections left him with Brain Damage, 67-year-old Douglas Ray Jnr was awarded a whopping $212 million in compensation from Allergan. His is one of 3 court cases brought against Allergan, linking Botox to Brain Damage (the other 2 will be heard later this year). An inevitable media-frenzy followed.

This is despite the fact that no firm evidence was produced definitively proving Botox to be the cause of Mr Ray Jnr’s symptoms. Allergan also protest the allegations that they provide inadequate information about the potential risks associated with the drug. The company are now challenging the charges.

So CAN Botox cause Brain Damage?

Of course, regardless of our skepticism about the “trigger-happy claims” tendencies in the U.S., allegations such as these are bound to have patients – and practitioners – concerned.

At around the time of this court case, The Journal of Neuroscience (April 2nd issue) featured an Italian study conducted on adult rats. Type A Botulinum Toxin injected into one side of the rats’ brains was demonstrated to appear on the other side as minute protein particles. The ‘Botox causes Brain Damage’ media frenzy began, neatly tying in with the Allergan court battle.

Yet, as Fabulously40 bloggers Lois Stern and Patty Kovacs point out, the rats received purified botulinum toxin. The Botox typically injected into patients is not the same. And although migration of protein particles might be worrying, it cannot be taken as definitive proof of brain damage. In fact, senior Harvard surgeon Gary Borodic emphasises: “There is nothing in this paper that says these injections will damage neurons or that there are long-term side-effects.”

Be Careful of Misinterpreting the Facts

 The fact that the Journal of Neuroscience article could create such media hype, despite being based on very little solid theory, has to make Practitioners also question the basis of the court case against Allergan.

For starters: what actually constitutes “Brain Damage”? Very few articles about this case actually describe Mr Ray Jnr’s symptoms in tangible detail (though this does not necessarily mean they are not physically as well as mentally present). And of the 2 other upcoming cases against Allergan, at least one of them (according to sideeffects.net) ‘linked the [Botox] injection to a person’s limited ability to perceive the emotions of others’. This seems a rather woolly definition of Brain Damage. It also reminiscent of the symptoms of Autism, bringing with it the connotations of another recent media hype surrounding an injectable drug treatment: the children’s MMR injections.  As earlier stated: any controversial drugs or treatment programme becomes a scapegoat for criticism and compensation claims. But it is very hard to prove a definitive link when you are talking in terms of emotional capacity damage.

Secondly, it must be pointed out that Mr Ray Jnr did NOT receive Botox treatment for lines or wrinkles. By not clarifying this, the media has generally allowed the public to  think that he was…and therefore created the mass panic of hundreds of Botox affeciendos! He was in fact having treatment for hand tremor and writer’s cramp.  One of the charges brought against Allergan by the Justice Department are for promting Botox for “off label” use such as these,plus migraine headaches, juvenile cerebal palsy etc. All of these uses for Botox require different concentrations and methods of treatment which may involve a greater element of risk and have been tested for less time, on a lesser number of patients than Botox treatment for wrinkles.

In the Journal of Neuroscience featured study, the rats were injected directly into their brains…hardly a realistic testing condition for patients receiving treatment in standard cosmetic procedures. However, perhaps “off label” uses of Botox should be approached with greater caution until further investigations are carried out.

Finally, Douglas Ray Jnr’s ‘significant and catastrophic injury to the brain’ came about not through the Botox treatment itself but as a result of ‘severe accute immune reaction’ (BNET). This is where the charge against Allergan for failing to provide adequate information about the possible side-effects and risks of Botox comes into place. It is the duty of all good Aesthetic Practitioners to sufficiently warn their patients that, as with all drugs, Botox is not without risks. However (and especially in the case of the dosages used for anti-wrinkle treatment) these risks are well tested and marginal. A case like Mr Ray Jnr’s would be the absolute exception, not the norm.

And this is why, although it is of course important to express concern and to do your research when cases like the Allergan Botox Brain Damage trials come to light, we do not feel that Cosmetic Practitioners need to be putting Botox on the backburner just yet.

Article by Cosmetic Courses, leading UK providers of Aesthetic Injectables training (Botulinum Toxin and Dermal Fillers) to medical professionals. Call 0845 230 4110 for more details, or visit our website.

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