Recently there has been some publicity about the dangers of Botox® injection. However a closer inspection of reported adverse events reveals that improper injection techniques, use by unlicensed persons, and use of off label preparations have been the cause of most complications.

I have also received many emails on my saveyourface.com website from patients who have had problems with soft tissue fillers injected by other physicians. In all cases improper injection techniques were used by the physicians who treated these patients.

Understand that the manufacturers of Botox, Juvederm, Restylane, Radiesse and other soft tissue fillers are allowed to sell these products to any physician, not just experienced plastic surgeons and dermatologists. Also understand that some doctors with no experience in plastic surgery, dermatology or medical aesthetics are using these new products to treat patients. In fact in some cases nurses and even aestheticians with no medical training are now doing injections.

This state of affairs can be a prescription for disaster for you, the unsuspecting patient.

I have been a plastic surgeon using injectables on my patients for 25 years and I still consider these procedures ones that require great concentration, skill and careful technique to safely get a good result.

I also do not inject soft tissue fillers like Juvederm, Radiesse and Restylane into the dark circle beneath the eye. I consider it dangerous; complications like firm visible lumps beneath the eyelid are common and often irreversible. Go to saveyourface.com and check the archives under "unhappy results" if you want to read the sad experiences of people who have had filler injections in the dark circle beneath the eye. Don't let that happen to you.

The injectables Botox, Juvederm, Restylane and Radiesse are wonderful effective safe agents for facial rejuvenation, but they must be administered by a knowledgeable and experienced expert who uses the proper technique. Insist on it. Don't take chances with your unique face.

These opinions are of course my own based on my 25 years of experience. I am aware that there are those that disagree with me but the plastic surgery societies, dermatology societies and many state legislatures are studying these issues at this time. My concern is patient safety

When you come to my practice you can feel confident that I will be doing your injection, very carefully and using techniques that I have determined work best.

Dr Seckel
Concord, Massachusetts
2/1/08