The Botox boom, backed by a $50 million advertising campaign, has made the dream of youthful skin seem more accessible than ever. Yet not everyone can afford up to $1,000 per treatment. Experts say unlicensed operators are offering cut-rate services out of homes and beauty parlors, particularly in immigrant communities. In many cases the injections aren’t Botox at all, but substances like silicone or colla-gen. In Florida, officials report getting new calls daily from patients suffering from botched procedures. With the popularity of Botox, the underground market “bloomed all of a sudden,” says Enrique Torres, an investigator at the state’s health department.
A spokesperson for Allergan, the company that makes Botox, said the drug should always be used in a “medical setting,” and stressed that its Web site offers links to licensed providers. But even some doctors are giving the shots at “Botox parties” in suburban living rooms–and in America, vanity is one vice anyone can afford.
