Botox for Valentine's Day?

Ron Myers
By Ron Myers

As an Aesthetic Business Coach and Mentor, Ron helps aesthetic clinics and suppliers to maximise their profits.


I stumbled across this U.S. advert on the Internet today advertising Special Offers on Botox® and Dermal Fillers for Valentine's Day.

In the UK this advert would be frowned upon for two reasons:

  1. Although not illegal, the promotion of certain cosmetic treatments performed by medical professionals using time-limited offers linked to discounts or other incentives is deemed by some sections of the cosmetic industry to be an inappropriate form of marketing.
  2. In the UK, it is illegal to specifically advertise Botox® (or any other brand of botulinum toxin) on the web, or in magazines, local papers etc. as botulinum toxin is categorised as a prescription-only medicine and it is currently illegal for a clinic to advertise any prescription medicines directly to the general public. This is not the case for most other cosmetic injectable treatments such as dermal fillers (e.g., Restylane or Juvéderm) which are currently classified as medical devices and not prescription medicines.

Many consumers (and indeed some clinics offering botulinum toxin injections) are unaware of this fact and the UK advertising authorities and the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) are trying to police the promotion of botulinum toxin is, in our view, fighting a losing battle. Just type Botox into a search engine and see how many websites use the word!

Even clinics aware of advertising regulations, who may use the words wrinkle relaxing, or wrinkle reducing injections in offline print adverts may still try and use the word Botox on their website as this is what consumers will search for on the web, and unless the word is mentioned somewhere in the clinic's website, it usually won't be found in natural search engine results.

If you want to read more, the experts at Consulting Room really know what they're talking about and have put together some Botox®, Dermal Fillers, Restylane, Juvéderm and botulinum toxin FAQs just for you. 

If you have more questions, you can use the Botox®, Dermal Fillers, Restylane, Juvéderm and botulinum toxin question feature to talk to our panel of trained medical experts. 

If you're keen to get started with any of these treatments right away then you're in luck - those clever folks also have a list of trusted, accredited Botox®, Dermal Fillers, Restylane, Juvéderm and botulinum toxin clinics in your area.

Hey, wait!

Before you go.....

Let's stay in touch, pop your details here and we'll send our editor's hand-picked updates on your fave subjects.