When you’re ready to pursue injectables, you’ll realize you have a lot of options. Between choosing your treatment and where to get it done, it can be hard to know what choice will give you the best results while prioritizing your safety.

For Chesterfield, MO plastic surgeon Deniz Sarhaddi, MD, the most important factor for success is the person performing the injection.

“It’s incredibly difficult these days for a person to find an injector whom they can trust,” Dr. Sarhaddi says. “Sometimes it seems like just about anyone can call themselves an expert and can access the products. But in reality, there are huge gaps in knowledge, skill, and safety measures when looking at people performing injectables across the board. I believe it is very important to research your injector the same way one would research their surgeon.”

How to Choose an Injector

So, how do you find the right person for the job?

Prioritize Experience

“To me, the most important factor is how much experience the injector has had.
 Dr. Sarhaddi advises.  “With experience, which includes diligent training, comes the ability to recognize complications from injectables and treat them promptly.”

An experienced practitioner will also be better equipped to match you to the perfect injectable for your concerns.

“They also have familiarity with a wide range of products and treatment areas, and ideally, the long-term effects of treatments,” Dr. Sarhaddi explains. “Also, it comes with the ability to recognize what injectables can and cannot achieve.”

Meet Your Injector

Dr. Sarhaddi also advises taking the time for an in-person meeting to ask questions, raise concerns and learn more about your injector.

“To me, it is important to have a consultation with your injector before getting treated, so you have the opportunity to discuss your goals and areas of concerns,” she explains. “You also can see if the injector is even familiar with treating those areas. Does your injector have the skill and aesthetic to take a full-face approach?”

Do Your Research

Reviews and Before and After images are key to gauging the expertise of an injector. Additionally, there are some key questions you should keep in mind.

• When did your injector start practicing?
• What kind of training have they had?
• Do they participate in continuing education?- the aesthetic society has a wonderful program for injectors via Allied Pro, where injectors can be sure to get education that is based in best practices.
• If they are not an MD, who supervises their practice and what credentials does that person have?
• What is their rate of complications and what were the outcomes, how were the patients treated?

Why the Choice Matters

“The risks of injectables in general can range from looking unnatural and overdone, to infections, vascular occlusion leading to tissue death or even blindness,” explains Dr. Sarhaddi. “This is why I encourage patients to research their injector the way they would research a surgeon.”

No one wants bad filler, and who you go to can ultimately mitigate that risk.

“The fact is that complications can happen in anyone’s hands, but are more common in the hands of inexperienced practitioners,” Dr. Sarhaddi adds. “They can lead to more devastating results if the injector doesn’t have the experience to promptly identify and the resources to promptly and completely treat complications.”

Red Flags to Watch For

You can help keep yourself safe and get the best experience out of injectable treatment by keeping a few red flags in mind.

The Claims

Injectables are not surgery, and they’re not magic. A qualified, experienced injector will be realistic about what these treatments can accomplish.

“It’s important to recognize that fillers are meant to camouflage or enhance or restore lost volume,” explains Dr. Sarhaddi. “They do not lift the face or any part of the face. In my opinion, if your injector tells you they can lift your face with fillers, find someone else to go to. It indicates to me that they do not understand the limitations of what injectables can achieve. This is often what leaves patients overfilled, puffy looking and unhappy.”

The Environment

Your treatment should only be administered in a clinical setting like a doctor’s office or reputable med spa.

“I would never undergo injectables outside of a clinical setting,” Dr. Sarhaddi warns. “This means no hair salons, no at-home Botox and filler, no department store injectables pop-up events.”

The biggest reason for this has to do with what should happen when things go wrong.

“Complications require resources and prompt treatment, such as medications, heat packs, access to a lot of dissolving enzyme (to breakdown the hyaluronic acid fillers if needed), etc.,” Dr. Sarhaddi explains. “And you cannot trust that these things will be readily accessible outside the clinical setting.”

The Injectable

“A patient should be able to simply ask what products are being used and to get a straight answer,” Dr. Sarhaddi says. “All products have serial numbers and lot numbers, and these are typically recorded in the patient chart.”

Additionally, the risk of receiving a fake product is going to be significantly lower in a clinical setting.

“The risk of fake products becomes an issue in non-clinical settings or with medical tourism,” Dr. Sarhaddi explains.

The Price

“If it seems too good to be true, it probably is,” Dr. Sarhaddi says. “And generally, you get what you pay for in the aesthetic world.”

According to Dr. Sarhaddi, you should expect to pay between $600-1200 per syringe of filler. Anything significantly below that price should serve as an instant red flag.

To receive more information about injectables or to find a board-certified aesthetic plastic surgeon near you, visit The Aesthetic Society’s website at theaestheticsociety.org

Learn how you can become an AlliedPro member of The Aesthetic Society. The newest membership category offers training and community for the nonsurgical aesthetic professional–to help foster their expertise in the field, grow their business, and enhance patient outcomes. Visit AlliedPro.org.