Botox, hyaluronic acid, fillers from overseas, and more – black and gray market injectables.
I’m often asked by patients how they can see specials for injectors offering Botox for $3/unit or a syringe of Restylane for $200. The answer is black and gray market injectables. Black market injectables would be those that are compounded by illegal pharmacies or companies that are selling illegal copies of fillers or Botox. It happens a lot. We get emails and faxes all the time from companies who offer amazing deals on injectables. But they aren’t legitimate and they are fraud.
Gray market injectables are those that are legitimate versions of Botox or fillers but they’ve been imported to this country from Canada, Mexico, etc. This is illegal for an injector to do because we are required to buy from U.S. sources per the FDA. So, bottom line, if you see a deal that’s too good to be true – it probably is. And it may be gray or black market injectables. If you love your face, it’s worth it to pay for the real thing from an ethical physician.
