Protecting Your Safety: How to Verify Your Aesthetic Providers and Products

Nov 6

If you’re considering an aesthetic procedure like Botox, fillers, or other treatments, it’s essential to ensure you are in safe hands.

Verify the Provider’s License

The first step in verifying a provider’s legitimacy is straightforward: look up their name on your state board’s website. This search will confirm if they hold an active medical or nursing license, or an advanced practice license. A legitimate provider will have an up-to-date license, which is essential for anyone administering medical-grade aesthetic treatments. Ensuring your provider is properly licensed not only confirms their qualifications but also their commitment to patient safety. In Massachusetts, you can search here https://www.mass.gov/info-details/check-a-health-profession-license

Understand the Cost Breakdown

A provider’s pricing can offer important clues about their legitimacy. If you find prices that seem exceptionally low compared to other practices, it may be a red flag. Quality neuromodulators, fillers, and biostimulators have a specific cost, and reputable providers account for additional expenses, such as rent, malpractice and building insurance, DEA and state registration, supplies, and continuous education and training (which often exceeds $5,000 annually).

This means that when you pay for an aesthetic treatment, you’re not just covering the product but the expertise, safety measures, and professionalism behind it. Remember: if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Request to View the Product and Product Packaging

It’s within your rights to ask to see the product vial, expiration date, and lot number. A legitimate provider should have no issue showing you these details. Additionally, all product labeling should be in English. These measures help validate that the product is FDA-approved for use in the United States. Examining the product firsthand can give you peace of mind, knowing you’re getting precisely what you’re paying for. Federal law prohibits non–FDA-approved drug importation. If you suspect unlawful importation from an unauthorized source, please report it to the authorities.

Look for Loyalty Programs

Many top pharmaceutical companies offer loyalty programs, which are only available to providers who purchase directly from them. These programs—like Allē for Allergan products (such as Botox), Evolus (for Jeuveau), and Galderma’s Aspire (for Dysport/Restylane)—ensure that providers are using genuine products sourced directly from manufacturers. A practice that participates in these programs is often a reliable indicator that you’re receiving authentic products.

Check the Practice’s Online Reputation and Listen to Your Instincts

A reputable aesthetic practice typically has a professional website and positive Google reviews from clients. Before committing to a provider, take time to read their reviews and pay attention to recurring themes in feedback. Beyond online research, trust your instincts when meeting with the provider. How they communicate, their transparency, and how they make you feel during the consultation can all be telling signs of their professionalism.

Choosing an aesthetic provider is about more than price or convenience; it’s about your safety, well-being, and achieving the desired results. By following these guidelines, you can make an informed decision and feel confident that you’re in skilled, legitimate hands.