These days, it seems like you could throw a rock and hit a business that offers Botox® injections. Doctors, dermatologists, med spas, and beauty clinics have all hopped on the Botox bus.

But getting Botox (and similar injections such as Dysport) isn’t the same as getting your hair cut or your nails done. If your hair or nails look less than desirable, there can certainly be a disappointment. But in the hands of an untrained or unskilled Botox injector, you could be in for considerable amounts of trouble.

In the interview that follows, Veritas Backstage Founder and CEO Devon Perry sits down with aesthetic expert and Master Injector, Rachel Szawielenko to talk about the steps you need to take in order to ensure you choose the ideal Botox injector.

How to Choose A Botox Injector

Devon: How does someone choose a good injector? What should they be looking for?

Rachel: Well, I think it’s really important that people look at credentials and training because in order to be proficient at this and really up to speed, you do need to invest in yourself and training.

And it’s not a day training, it’s overtime and advanced courses, knowing Anatomy, knowing the muscles, what they do, what areas to inject. It’s just not a cookie-cutter pattern and everybody’s facial muscles are different so that’s important. I think it’s really important.

And just asking questions. How long have you done this? What’s your background?

And getting to see their work too. The other patients that they’ve treated and getting to see those outcomes. It’s really my feeling that with injectables, it’s one part science or physiology, Anatomy. Knowing all that is so, so important so that you don’t have post-operative disappointments.

Devon: And there’s so much art too that goes into it. One of the things that I’ve always enjoyed about you, Rachel, is that you really marry those two worlds of science and art beautifully.

Rachel: Well, it is an art and you have to be able to look at the client, what their expectations are, what they want, their asymmetries and try to balance that but also being conservative. You can always do additional treatments and add more.

You do not have to just go strong because I think in this industry, less is best.

If you want a more natural look, you just go slow. You learn people’s facial muscles and what they like:

Do they want movement? Do they not want movement? Do they want to pull this off where nobody knows they’re Botox? Well, there are certain things that you have to do in order to accomplish that.

Devon: I think you’re right. And something that I see too is that inexperienced injectors or those that have all of the right credentials but don’t have the eye for it, they’re placing volume in areas where it really doesn’t need to be.

So a patient may present with a problem and say, “Okay, these lines are starting to develop here. I feel like they’re really deep.”

An inexperienced injector or one that doesn’t have an artistic eye might decide, “Okay, well I’m going to fill these lines.” But really, it’s a result of the slackening in one area, and a loss of volume laterally. Lift laterally and/or indirectly – it wouldn’t be what most people think is going to create the solution…

Rachel: And patients don’t see that, you really do have to educate them. And I think once you explain what is going on and the volume loss and where and what’s causing the laxity and how you start from the top down because that’s gravity unfortunately.

And so just putting that back where it belongs subtly, slowly. If I am restoring volume in a face, I do this in two, three, sometimes four sittings. It’s not like I’m going to do it all in one day. I want it to accomplish what it was designed to do, let it settle, do its magic so to speak and then decide if you need more and then work down the face.

That to me it’s the most natural way to do it.

Here’s some additional reasons why choosing an injector with the credentials, the experience AND the artistry is important:

1) You’ll Get Better Results

The face has more than 40 muscles, and each of those muscles has an important role to play when it comes to making facial expressions. An experienced Botox provider will be familiar with the anatomy of the face and the location of the specific muscles that control specific movements. Couple that with the artistic eye that understands proportion and framing, and you’ve got yourself a winning injectable combination.

2) You’ll Feel Comfortable

Comfort is key when it comes to receiving Botox or other injectable treatments. When you select your practitioner, make sure to survey the treatment area to determine if the environment is clean and sanitary.

Speaking of comfort, it may be worth enquiring if your practitioner can apply a numbing cream or topical anesthetic to the treatment area, helping to reduce any discomfort during the treatment.

3) You’ll Get Authentic Botox Product

This one may come as a surprise – Not all Botox is created equal. In fact, counterfeit Botox exists. Inexperienced practitioners, or providers who only care about their bottom line may use inferior variations of the Allergan product. If you’re curious, you can always ask your practitioner to show you the Botox® box  – Authentic Botox will have a hologram logo on the vial, a tamper-evident sticker on the box, and license and tracking numbers on the outer box.

4) Safety First!

It’s an unfortunate truth that, in the hands of an inexperienced practitioner, serious complications and issues can happen. Complications can range from drooping in the eyebrows to difficulty swallowing. It’s imperative – Not just to your aesthetics, but also to your health that you choose an injector who knows exactly how much Botox to administer and where to place it.

5) You’ll Have Options

Just like any good service provider, you want to work only with someone who has integrity in case there’s a problem. Sometimes, the problem is just that you need a little more – A skilled practitioner with your best interests in mind will work with you to ensure that you get exactly what you want – The best results, and the best experience!

Before scheduling your Botox treatment, make sure you do your due diligence to find the best provider for you.

In our experience, finding the right provider for Botox makes all the difference when it comes to your overall satisfaction and safety.

At Veritas Backstage, our injection specialists have over 40 years of combined experience in injectables, and a track record of 5-star, fantastic customer service.

If you’d like to determine if Botox is right for you, contact us today to schedule a free consultation: Call us at 800-954-7590 or request an appointment online.