Painful Price: Exposing the dark side of illegal filler injectors and the serious adverse effects
Over the last decade, injectable fillers have grown increasingly popular nationwide primarily among women.
There were 3.4 million procedures performed in 2020, compared to the 1.8 million procedures carried out in 2010, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
The figures only account for injectable fillers administered by licensed professionals.
“There is a tendency for the public, and some in the profession, to view laser treatments, Botox and cosmetic filler injections as cosmetic rather than medical treatments. The use of prescription drugs and devices, however, is the practice of medicine, and the same laws and regulations apply to these types of treatments as those driven by medical necessity,” according to the Medical Board of California.
California law is strict on who can inject fillers, and they are all licensed medical professionals: physician, a nurse, or a physician’s assistant under a physician’s supervision.
"If a consumer becomes aware that a person is performing cosmetic procedures in California without a license, we ask them to contact the Medical Board of California so we can investigate,” according to Carlos Villatoro, Public Information Officer with the Medical Board of California.
Consumers can research providers and find out for themselves if they are licensed, in addition to accessing any investigated complaints against them.
Physician profiles can be found on the Medical Board of California's website. Nurse profiles can be accessed on the California Board of Registered Nursing's website. Physician Assistant's license information can be found on the agency's website.
The FDA provides tips to safely use dermal fillers, along with other information related to injectables.
In some instances, the desire to alter one’s appearance through less invasive nonsurgical methods has led some women down the wrong path.
News Channel 3 investigated the lengths some women in the Coachella Valley have gone to achieve their idea of perfection, and the consequences involved that they are now warning others about.
Telemundo 15's Eliana Lopez covered this issue as well. You can watch the Telemundo story below:
