Here’s What’s Wrong with Botox

September 3rd, 2010. By AbiK

Think I’m going to say that it’s the way Botox can turn a once-expressive face into one that looks like it’s just come out of the freezer? Nope. Or that it’s spurred on our youth-obsessed culture thereby driving the insecurities of aging women to new heights? Nope again.

The issue with Botox is this: it’s easy to get and easy to steal. Too easy. It’s getting to the point where it might as well be right up there with the more “commodity” beauty that you find on drugstore shelves. Heck, when you see reports of former Miss USA Shannon Marketic allegedly shoplifting Olay Pro-X and then read about the recent string of Botox Bandits, is there really any difference?

For those of you who haven’t been following, yes, there is a brand of thief known as Botox Bandit. The latest arrest was Maria Elizabeth Chrysson (who’s 29—again? one can’t help but ask) in Miami. Funny thing is that this is Chrysson’s third charge of Botox “theft”. Botox, mind you, can run $300 – $500 per visit and can get over the $1,000 mark. The theft happens when the patient, post-injection, either writes a check that’ll bounce or says that she needs to hit an ATM or she left her purse in the car (whoops!).

Ok, it’s not the theft that’s actually the issue. To be more precise, the theft is more like a symptom. Think about it. What other medical—yes medical—procedure can you walk into a doctor’s office for, fill out the paperwork, have the procedure, and just leave without paying? None! There is none because you have to sign your life away and hand over your insurance card before you even set foot in an examination room.

For that matter, my local hospital—a big “university” one with a bunch of those “Best” awards—will not perform surgery unless you’ve paid in full beforehand. Yes, they figure out what you will most likely be billed for and then ask for your payment right then and there before pointing you down the hall for your pre-op testing. I was stunned when it happened to me and my question to the clerk who was taking my info was, “What if I weren’t able to pay in full? What happens to someone if they can afford it?” Her response—I kid you not—was, “We typically postpone the surgery until it’s paid for”. Postpone? Not something most surgery candidates want to hear…

So back to Botox.

Botox for beauty is elective—it’s rare that someone is prescribed Botox for perspiration or migraines. Let’s face it, the majority of Botox flowing from syringes is for women who want to chill those repetitive facial expressions that cause frown lines—so the only “prescription” required is a simple “I’m taking the plunge!” And given that Botox is an elective procedure, good luck trying to find an insurance company that’ll cover it.

So there’s no insurance information required at the doctor’s office. No paper trail. No automatic “Your co-pay for today is $XX”. Translation: nothing the doctor’s office holds on you to ensure payment. You could just as easily fill out a fake name and address on the Patient Information form, right? After all, it’s not like the office staff are doing a mini background check on you before you prep for the needle.

And what happens if there should be a problem with the Botox injection? Say there is a recall of a certain lot of Botox? Or say the Botox starts to migrate internally after the injection? Or that the patient has droopy eyelids afterward? Without a paper trail—a legitimate one—anything that goes wrong tends to go really wrong.

The problem with Botox is that it’s become a commodity. Ok, not necessarily a cheap one, but still. And while most of us have ‘had it up to here’ with health insurance, insurance does provide some sort of oversight—I cringe that I’m even saying that—of the whole process. Without it, or the need for it, it’s certainly easier to walk into a doctor’s office and leave without payment or any trace of your even being there. The door for things to go wrong is just cracked open a bit wider.

Take it a step further—in the case of Botox—and why even need the doctor at all? And that’s precisely what’s happened with the growth of medispas—basically spas cloaked in a more clinical feel (they operate under a physician’s supervision) where you may, or may not, have an actual doctor performing whatever non-surgical aesthetic procedure you’re having.

If you’re getting the impression that getting Botox can be a bit, well, loosey-goosey, you’re getting the picture. And that’s what wrong with Botox today—and in truth, much of the cosmetics industry where the line between “cosmetic” and “drug” continues to get blurred as “cosmeceuticals” become the gold standard in marketing youth (or the appearance thereof).

When someone can walk into a doctor’s office, fill out some paperwork, have a procedure, and basically leave without paying—they may ultimately get caught—but there’s definitely something wrong with that process.

Tags: Botox

This was posted on Friday, September 3rd, 2010 at 8:41 am and is filed under Drugs/Medical, Emerging Issues . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.