60 seconds. That's all it took for me to buy Innotox off a third-party website before heading onto Amazon to buy some disposable syringes. And I'm not alone. DIY Botox is going viral, with the hashtag #innotox racking up 77.6M posts on TikTok.
Many of these videos start with a close up of a frozen forehead peppered with tiny paint-by-numbers dots to show the injection sites. What follows is step-by-step advice for how many units to inject, delivered with the same enthusiasm as a foundation tutorial.
When it comes to Botox alternatives, Innotox, a Korean over-the-counter injectable is the trending product of choice. Many influencers zero in on the price; “Sure beats $300-500 per visit 😎 #diy #botox,” one says. The website I found was charging less than £50 for a dose of Innotox, which is at least £150 less than regular Botox. So was I tempted – even just a little bit?
Short answer: no. There's little doubt that K-Beauty is seeing an uptick and videos about recession beauty hacks are trending. I, for one, have jumped on both Korean essences for a supernatural glow and the barely-there princess nails bandwagon.
But is DIY "K-Botox" one step too far? The doctors I spoke to in this piece certainly think so – and not because they think it'll affect their business.
It's also worth noting that even cosmetic doctors and plastic surgeons rarely inject themselves. “I personally wouldn't feel comfortable injecting myself with Botox," says Dr Ash Soni, a plastic surgeon and founder of The Soni Clinic. "It's hard to appreciate the true angle of where the needle is, or to see it clearly, just by looking in a mirror. I think you have to be very, very careful."
That's coming from a surgeon with six years of medical school training and six years of general and plastic surgery experience under their belt. So imagine the risk in amateur hands.
Botox vs Innotox - What's the difference?
Botox is a trade name for botulinum toxin, a powerful neurotoxin that temporarily paralyses muscles when injected. “Botulinum toxins block nerve signals to the muscles,” says cosmetic doctor and skin ageing expert, Dr Anne Mendelovici. “Injected muscles can’t contract so they reduce unwanted wrinkles. These effects are always temporary, and usually last about 3-6 months.”
Innotox features the same active ingredient as Botox, but that's where the similarities end. “Innotox is a premixed toxin, whereas Botox comes in powder form and needs to have the solution (saline) added to make it injectable,” says Dr Wassim Taktouk, founder of London's Taktouk Clinic.
And while Botox is medically approved (including being FDA approved) for cosmetic purposes, Innotox is not authorised in the UK or US.
Why is DIY Botox a bad idea?
All botulinum toxins come with risks, especially if you're not a skilled or experienced practitioner. There's the possible risk of infection, especially in an unsterile, at-home situation. Not to mention the potential of an allergic reaction in some individuals.
A cosmetic doctor is also careful about the amount of toxin they use to avoid the Botox migrating (when Botox moves from the intended area, causing a neighbouring muscle to relax). Botox is, after all, a purified form of the toxin produced by the same bacterium that also causes botulism (a serious illness that can lead to muscle paralysis and respiratory failure), so migration can cause muscle weakness, issues with your vision and breathing problems.
However, without in-depth anatomical knowledge, “if you go too deep in certain places, it can droop the eyelid,” says Dr Soni. "It can even create more serious risks of impairing your vision if you go into the eye area. Those risks wouldn't happen with experienced injectors because we would know the anatomy of everything around these sensitive areas."
Some of the muscles in the face can be paper thin and some overlap one another, adds Dr Taktouk. “If you don't know what muscle, artery or nerve is under the tip of your needle then you have no business pushing the syringe plunger. You will hit muscles you didn’t intend to, because you don’t know they even exist. Some patients are also not suitable for botulinum toxin injections – who is there to assess and tell them that if they're doing it themselves?”
TikTok content
While the cheap price of Innotox and other Botox alternatives is the obvious draw for many content creators on TikTok, it's actually a red flag for Dr Soni. “These are very cheap alternatives to Botox – and cheap in this industry often relates to very poor quality, especially in injectables because it is being used for mass markets,” he says. “In a reputable clinic you're paying for a qualified practitioner with adequate medical experience plus the quality of the toxin."
Only a few weeks ago, 28 people were diagnosed with toxic poisoning in north-east England after having Backstreet Botox using another product from South Korea known as Toxpia, which is also not licensed for use in the UK. “We have already heard about unlicensed toxins in the UK causing severe problems," says Dr Taktouk. "DIY Botox opens the gates to more of this.”
What to do if you want to soften the look of lines but you're on a budget
You could discuss your budget with your cosmetic doctor or dermatologist and potentially minimise the number of units of Botox that is injected into your face, says Dr Soni.
There are also “prescribed licensed toxins, such as Daxxify, Relfydess and Alluzience, that are emerging with longer life spans (up to 9 months) than the standard Botox (3 months),” adds Dr Taktouk. “Consider one of these and find a clinic that has a payment plan. There are always safer and more sensible solutions – DIY Botox isn't the solution.”
Skincare-wise, there are a number of things that you can do to improve the look of lines that are cheaper than Botox. Dr Soni recommends looking for peptides (argireline is a particularly good option as it blocks the neurotransmitters that cause facial muscles to contract) and vitamin A derivatives such as retinol, which speeds up cell renewal.
“In terms of treatments, there's microneedling, which can help to stimulate collagen and elastin,” Dr Soni notes. "Pair it with a really good skincare routine and you can get a lovely result.” Meanwhile, EmFace uses both radiofrequency and electromagnetic stimulation to lift the muscles, improving the look of both fine lines and your facial contours.
Molly O’Rourke, a registered nurse and nurse injector at 207 Laser in the USA, perhaps puts it best in a Reel by saying: “Would you let someone who's not a surgeon operate on you? Would you go to the man on the street corner for your annual pap?”
If the answer to either of those questions is no, then, trust me, you really don't want to be injecting your own face with a toxin.
For more from Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR's Associate Beauty Director, follow her on @fiembleton.
