No More DIY Botox

A website selling vials of injectable aesthetic medicines has been shut down.
  
Last October, we reported that authorities were cracking down on a north Texas woman who was selling injectables like Dysport, Botox and Restylane over the internet in a kit containing two saline filled syringes and a vial of the medicine. The woman, Laurie D’Alleva, also posted videos on Youtube that describe how to inject yourself.

She has now agreed to stop selling the products and take down her website, following a suit filed by the Texas Attorney General. The state sued D’Alleva and her business, claiming they mareketed cosmetic enhancement devices and prescription drugs over the Internet. Injectables like these are only available via a prescription and are dangerous in the wrong hands. Botox and Dysport are diluted, purified versions of the botulinum toxin, the deadliest toxin on earth. Both carry a black-box label, meaning they have a risk of serious side effects, including respiratory problems and death. No deaths have been attributed to either real Botox nor Dysport when administered by a trained physician, however several deaths have been attributed to the fake stuff.

D’Alleva and her businesses are charged with multiple violations of the Texas Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act and the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Her website has been taken down and she must pay the state $125,000 in civil penalties, attorneys’ fees and other costs.

While there are many cosmetic treatments you can do at home, we advise that you avoid any DIY beauty project that involves injectables or harsh chemicals like those used in a chemical peel. If you really want a DIY project, follow something like a home improvement DIY site.

Friday, June 11, 2010 for American Health and Beauty at http://www.americanhealthandbeauty.com/articles/?article=3064