In recent years, the spread of “low-cost” beauty treatments advertised on social media is bringing out a worrying phenomenon: the increase in Botox and hyaluronic acid injections administered by unqualified people. The alarm was raised in France, but we are not letting our guard down in Italy either.
What’s happening in France
In France, although the regulation on the use of injectable aesthetic products is very clear – only qualified doctors or surgeons can carry out Botox or filler injections – there has been a real boom in illegal professionals, people who present themselves as beauticians or “beauty experts”, attracting customers via Instagram or TikTok with prices much lower than professional rates.
These operators do not have any medical training or sufficient anatomical skills and often use products of dubious origin or counterfeit, perhaps even purchased on unregulated markets and without any traceability.
They are aimed above all at young women, attracted by the glossy images on social media and the bargain prices. The offers – often cheap “full face” packages – may seem attractive, but the risks are very high.
The health risks are real and serious
The consequences for those who rely on these fake operators can be serious and long-lasting. Infections, abscesses and skin necrosis are among the most common complications when injections are not performed under sterile conditions or with certified materials.
Injecting into arteries or tissues incorrectly can cause permanent damage, including circulation problems, partial paralysis of muscles and, in severe cases, even blindness.
Many patients do not even know what they have been injected with, the products may be counterfeit, not compliant with safety standards or even unrelated to aesthetic medicine.
As Dr. Catherine de Goursac stated a 60 Millions de Consumers:
The products are often Chinese, sometimes counterfeit. We often don’t know what was injected. Some even take hyaluronic acid from containers instead of using disposable syringes in blister packs! We found germs coming from the digestive tract under the patients’ skin, meaning the person had not washed their hands after going to the bathroom before the injection.
In the past, plastic doctors’ unions and scientific societies have also raised similar alarms, denouncing that many fake operators work in apartments, beauty salons or improvised locations, without any supervision and without the possibility of medical assistance in case of emergency.
And in Italy?
The problem is not exclusively French. In Italy, episodes of abusive clinics closed by the authorities have already been reported, where people passed themselves off as professionals and administered Botox or fillers without any qualification, advertising their services on social media and online platforms.
Furthermore, some experts are reopening the debate on the free sale of fillers in pharmacies, underlining that access without a prescription represents a risk, because it facilitates the use of injectable substances without appropriate medical supervision.
All specialists agree on one fundamental point: Botox, hyaluronic acid and other fillers should only be administered by competent healthcare professionals, in authorized clinical environments and with certified products.
Promises on social media, video tutorials or “do it yourself” offers cannot replace years of medical training or the ability to manage even serious complications.
How to defend yourself
The advice to avoid falling into dangerous traps is simple:
