Never, ever, allow unlicensed silicone injections

[Excerpted  from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) Smart Beauty)

 Florida man arrested for performing non-licensed silicone injections

A Florida man was arrested last week for allegedly injecting people with silicone without a medical license, First Coast News reported. The silicone injections were administered in the buttocks, a common illegal practice used to enhance the body's curves. 

Police officials told the news source that the Orlando resident performed an estimated six silicone buttocks injections per day, collecting up to $1,200 for each procedure. 

The alleged perpetrator was found in a hotel room in Plantation, Fla. with 15 bottles of silicone liquid, 47 bottles of lidocaine, syringes, gloves and super glue, according to the news source. He also had about $18,000  in cash hidden in a suitcase.

Illegal silicone injections are a prevalent concern as cases continue to increase throughout the U.S. According to a previous report from The Los Angeles Times, there have been more than a dozen investigations into deaths related to illegal buttocks injections. The news source stated that eight people have been convicted of administering these injections without a license.

Buttock augmentation has also become increasingly popular throughout the years. Americans spent more than $26 million on the procedure in 2012, according to the news outlet. When done legally by a licensed physician, the procedure reshapes the buttocks with the patient's own tissue - known as an autologous fat transfer - or with implants. Silicone injections are typically unsafe and performed by non-board-certified plastic surgeons. 

If you are considering a butt lift and you are in Southwest Florida, see Dr. Brueck MD in Fort Myers, Cape Coral or Punta Gorda for a consultation and discussion of the procedure and the results you seek. No beauty goal and no bargain price is worth your life.

PS: If cash is a problem, you may qualify for CareCredit.

Walk the makeup aisle of any store that sells cosmetics, and you'll probably see plenty of products touting anti-aging benefits. A wise shopper, however, will be cautious. Some of these companies use some extravagant wording to help sell their products. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) keeps an eye out for false claims. Recently, it issued a warning to L'Oreal concerning phrases found on its website that made questionable statements about several of its products.

The letter singles out a number of beauty items. The warning also outlines some of the phrases in question. One claim said the Genetique Eye Youth Activating Eye Concentrate "boosts the activity of genes and stimulates the production of youth proteins." Two other products, the Absolute Precious Cells Advanced Regenerating and Reconstructing Cream SPF 15 Sunscreen, claimed that customers would "see significant deep wrinkle reductions in UV damaged skin, clinically proven."

The FDA warns that L'Oreal's products are not "generally recognized among qualified experts as safe and effective for the above referenced uses," and strongly urges the company to correct its website.

 L'Oreal isn't the first company to receive such a warning. Around the same time that the FDA warned the beauty company, it also wrote a letter to Greek Island Labs, which offered a product known as Athena 7 Minute Life. The company claimed this product was "a safe and effective alternative to Botox."

Fortunately, products like Botox and other injectable fillers have been given the stamp of approval by the FDA, which is part of the reason why they've become so popular over the past few years.

The background for this blog message was provided by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, of which I am a member.