Botox For 8 Year Old Girl?

Botox Mom is shooting up her 8 year old.

You'll have to watch an advertisement, but Anderson Cooper's take on Botox Mom illegally shooting up her 8 year old daughter is worth watching.

Of course Botox Mom isn't the only one finding and using Botox themselves as we've discussed before in these posts:

• Fake Or Not, Discount Medspa Is Going To Jail
• Botox Self-Injectors & Entitlements
• Do It Yourself Botox: Are These People For Real?

The 'Botox' vial shown in the clip clearly doesn't have a hologram and I can't believe it's real. I'm guessing that it's some fake from China.

It shouldn't be too hard to find out where she, and these other 'pageant moms' are getting this.

Botox Self Injectors & Entitlements

Women are still injecting themselves with fake Botox?

The stupidity of some people continues to astound me. Here's a comment that I received from 'Regina'.

I could rail on this for quite some time but I think that Regina does an excellent job of displaying her ignorance and self-entitlement for cosmetic treatments that she evidently can't afford.... Amazing.

I can no longer afford Botox. I paid $670 for three areas and now I broke the bank,  I have to pay it back with very high interest (23%) .
Do the doctors care about my financial problems?  NO!  In fact, I have never seen a more careless crowd of ignorant  doctors,  when they sell me Botox. Why?  Because they are profiting from Botox and then they date younger women with my money, while I cry myself to sleep without a dollar in my pocket. .
I injected myself with Hyaluronic Acid from Brazil and I am looking just fine and people are impressed with my independence and courage.

Now, I will go ahead and order Botox from China and inject myself. I hope Allergan goes broke and China will win over this greedy world of US doctors. Hopefully, China is going to swamp the market with Botox, inject-able fillers, clothe and  what no all ---and the banks have been bailed  with my money  for nothing,  fatcat bankers putting aside very high amounts of money only to fall very  very low.  Love is all  God's money and that  I have left and I love Botox from China.

- Regina  kiwibird@bellsouth.net

Regina here doesn't mention it but I'm wondering if she feels that insurance companies should pay for her Botox treatments?

She's certainly a trusting soul since Botox from China is actually not 'Botox' at all. I can't imagine what the though process is for someone who will squirt who-knows-what into their own face.

Botox From China. It Play Good.

Get your Botox from China.
Then get yourself a good lawyer.

Look, I'm not in the habit of bashing anyones' second language skills considering my own inadiquacies with Japanese, French and German, but if you're going to be soliciting business in a country and promoting illegal activities, you'd better have a slicker pitch that this one for 'Botox from China'.

I get these pretty regularly now; pitches from China for Botox substitutes or cosmetic lasers and IPLs. It's interesting that they're using Gmail for their 'corporate correspondence'.

Here's the Botox from China email I just received:

Christina
christina.biochem@gmail.com
Subject: Anti- Aging and skin care products based on HA ( Dermal filler,Botox,HA cream,etc)
Message: Dear friend,

I get your information on your website and find that you are engaged in non-surgical cosmetic and aesthetic medicals.

I would like to introduce our company and products with hope to get a chance to establish business relationship with you in the future.

We can supply the botox in 150iu. It play good in contouring facial lift.

Besides,we are also the manufacturer of hyaluronic acid filler. I have fillers in 10.000, 100.000, 200.000 particle in 1ml for deep,medium and fineline wrinkles. It also play good in nose augmentation, chin enhancement. We do not only have 20mg/ml fillers. We also have 25mg/ml one. And it do better for nose augmentation and chin enhancement.

We adopt BDDE cross-linked technology from Germany,the quality and lasting period is long and good. And our three plants are up to GMP standard.

So at first time we do not have minimum order limit in order to let you know my products.

We will delivery the products  immediatly by DHL express after we received the payment of the goods.

Should you have any questions or problems,pls let me konw freely.

We look forward to building up very good business ships based on mutual benefits.

Best quality, competitive prices & pleasant reputation are our Aim.

Have a wonderful day.

Thanks and best regards,
Christina
Qufu Haitao International Trading Co.,Ltd
Add:No.1 Guangming Road QuFu Tour & Economic Development Zone, QuFu
ShanDong, China

I don't know anyone that's ever used this kind of product... scratch that. I do know one physician who 'ordered' some of that cheap lab-animal botulism product that some doctors got in trouble with a few years ago. Of course he claims that he never used it on a patient.

Injecting with fake Botox substitutes from China is usually reserved for the wacko 'I learned to inject myself with fake Botox on YouTube' crowd, not medical practices, but It's obviously working at least a little bit if the frequency that I'm being contacted is any indication.

Is anyone else receiving these kinds of pitches?

Pretique: Newest DIY Fake Botox Fraud Site

There's at least one new site dispensing fake Botox, dermal fillers, tanning injections, chemical peels and even Lidocane kits.

Pretique Cosmetics is selling all of this and more.

Could this get any worse? Are there really idiots out there who would knowingly buy who-knows-what from a sleazy website and inject themselves with it? This is the same kind of fake Botox that Discount Medspa was selling before they got shut down.

Part of me is just angry that this kind of blatant fraud is even possible. The only thing that they're selling on is price so it's a safe bet that the women most being hurt by this are those least able to afford real medical care.

Pretique Medspa Fake Botox & Dermal Fillers Scam Site

Here's what Pretique says about themselves while quoting nameless 'research studies':

We are North America's #1 Supplier of Pretique® 'Botulinum Type A Cosmetic . These treatments provide very little pain with amazing results.

For over a decade Allergen has been the only company to provide these treatments, but Pretique has changed that, and that change is a very good thing Now you have a choice with Pretique  and best of all its available without a prescription.

Pretique is reported to take effect a little quicker than Allergens and in some reports is stated to last a little longer.

While the list of "fillers" has grown long in the past few years, Botox has never really had any competition.  A limited variety of creams have purported to be "better than Botox."  But, you know what?  They aren't.

What is Pretique?

For years, Pretiquehas beenused safely and effectively.  In recent head-to-head tests -- it has already confirmed Pretique efficacy.

Having digested many of these research studies, we must say that we are excited

• In all studies, Pretique has worked (just like Allergen's Botox)!

• And have identified no significant red flags for Pretique.  No allergies.  No untoward infections.  (Same is true for Botox. Both appear to be very safe medications.)

• In some studies, Pretique has not lasted as long. (And the biggest downside to Botox is that it lasts only 3-4 months.)

Here's Pretique's pitch to get you to buy Lidocane so you can't feel what you're doing to yourself when you're squirting their 'fillers' into your lips.

Of course this is the Pretique Medspa warrantee:

Disclaimers

YOUR USE OF THIS SITE IS AT YOUR RISK. THE INFORMATION, MATERIALS AND SERVICES PROVIDED ON OR THROUGH THIS WEB SITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND.

This websitedoes not assume any responsibility for any damages arising from use of products on this website...

Thanks to Pat Monroe RN for outing these guys.

Update on 2012-12-12 17:49 by Medical Spa MD

We contacted a pharmacy and asked if they knew anything about Pretiques Med Spa. This was their reply:

These are the kind of people everyone needs to stay away from and are definitely not legit despite what they might tell anyone. I checked it out and their actual info is:
 
 Name: Pretiques Med Spa 
 Phone: (403) 984-8969 
 Address: 11081 Macleod Trail S
  
Calgary, AB T2J 5N8 
 
The generics they are offering are definitely not from Canada, as they are not on the market here and likely are from China. The address I listed above may very well not even be real, but that is what I found.

Fake Botox: Houston physician sentenced

The fake Botox case in Houston comes to a close with this sentence handed down.

A Houston, Texas physician was sentenced to five months and 15 days in federal prison and three years of supervised release for injecting patients with fake Botox, prosecutors said on Friday.

Dr. Gayle Rothenberg is a local physician specialized in providing image enhancement services. She was also ordered to pay $98,426 in restitution to her affected patients. As a condition of supervised release, Rothenberg is prohibited from seeking reinstatement of her medical license.

Rothenberg and her former husband, Saul Gower, a local attorney, operated The Center for Image Enhancement located at 2000 Bering Drive in Houston.

Rothenberg ordered and administered a drug called Botulinum Toxin Type A that was labeled with the warning “FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY, NOT FOR HUMAN USE.” Despite this label, Rothenberg injected more than 170 patients with the substance and represented to patients that they were receiving Botox Cosmetic, manufactured by Allergan Inc.

Rothenberg also admitted that she advertised in brochures, magazines and websites that she specialized in treating facial wrinkles with Botox Cosmetic, even though she intentionally stopped ordering it due to the price increase in 2004 and began ordering the unapproved drug from a company named Toxin Research International because it was half the price of the other. She admitted that she did not tell her patients that they were receiving a different substance.

Gower pleaded guilty in 2008 to misbranding of a drug while being held for sale and making false statements to an agent. He then, cooperated with agents and testified against his ex-wife in exchange for a sentence of 4 years’ probation.

The Price Of Fake Botox

Are price increases in Botox motivating some physicians as well as non-physicians to sell fake Botox to their patients?

A Houston physician, Gayle Rothenberg was sentenced to 5 ½ months in Federal prison last Friday for injecting patients with a fake Botox product not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for human use. Apparently Dr. Rothenberg injected at least 170 patients with an unapproved botulism chemical. According to testimony, Rothenberg stopped using Botox after a price increase in January 2004 and began ordering the unapproved drug, which was half the price, despite knowing it was not for human use and labeled only for research purposes. In 2004, when fpur people became paralyzed from the counterfeit Botox, the FDA’s involvement has led to 31 arrests and 29 convictions of individuals selling the fake Botox. In addition to a jail sentence, Dr. Rothenberg must pay more than $98,000 in restitution to her patients and cannot reinstate her suspended Texas medical license.

The case of Dr.Rothenberg is no different than the case of Laurie D’Alleva, another fine citizen of my home state of Texas charged with selling counterfeit Botox. So far D’Alleva’s case has yet to be prosecuted as evidence is still being gathered. The common similarities between the two are that both individuals were motivated by greed to jeopardize patient safety ahead of financial gain.  Laurie’s case is especially intriguing to me based on public opinion. Here is someone who seems to be viewed by her customers as a “business woman” who was doing a “good service” for those individuals who felt that Botox cosmetic was too expensive because the “greedy” doctors were charging too much for the filler. While Laurie seems to be viewed by many as a caring individual, making Botulism more affordable to the masses, public commentary on Dr. Rothenberg is quite the opposite. Comments such as “5-1/2 months? Justice is not only blind, it's stupid. (and maybe corrupt) “ and “That sentence is not even one day of confinement for every defrauded patient!.” I feel the same way as the above two comments, but why is the public sentiment different with these two con-artists? Is it because one is a doctor and one is not?

Personally, I find it very frustrating that the price of Botox has doubled in since its introduction. I remember being excited when Dysport came out because I thought this product would be half the price and would drive the price of Botox down so more patients could afford the price. Sadly, this was not the case. As physicians have to pay more money for Botox, so do their patients. These increasing prices enable individuals such as Ms. D’alleva and Dr. Rothenberg to find counterfeit Botox they can buy at a cheaper price to make a greater profit, while sacrificing patient safety. Laurie d’Alleva’s “Botox” price was probably pennies on the dollar, whereas a physician’s cost for Botox is now at $600 per bottle. Hopefully another pharmaceutical company peddling botulism toxin will come along, get FDA approval and drive the price of Botox down to a more reasonable price for physicians to purchase for their patients. Until then, brace yourself for more Laurie d’Allevas and Dr. Rothenberg’s to come along. Thank heavens for the invention of ventilators!

Guest post by Wendy Hovorka, Valley Laser Surgical Solutions Vein Center,  McAllen, Texas

Submit a guest post and be heard.

Do it yourself Botox: Are these people for real?

Wow. For whatever reason there's a lot of traffic on the do it yourself Botox thread: Fake Botox or not, Discount Medspa is going to jail.

Evidently there are a lot of Botox self injectors flocking to this site to comment on the story of the woman who was selling some form of Botox replacement online, and then publishing videos about how to inject yourself.

Certainly illegal, the site, Discount Medspa has been shut down. My guess is that there are a host of legal troubles ahead for the owner.

You'd think that people would be a little smarter than to inject themselves with Botox or anlything else they just bought online, but I can't tell what's going on with comments like this:

Excuse me Mr.RealMD you are getting the same stuff we are in a bottle that is sealed in a pure form un constituted. Could you PLEASE tell me how do you really honestly know what you’re injecting into your patient besides reading the Botox label across the bottle? You didn't package the bottles you received! and I am more than sure you didn’t have anything to do with the making of the batches of Botox either. All you did was received your order, took it out the boxes and stored it in your freezer upon delivery of your shipment and used it when it was time to inject your patients.

The injection part of receiving Botox IS very important and for you to have the nerve to say I quote “You guys don't really understand the issues involved with the actual preparation of the toxin before it is placed in the bottle. You are focusing on injection technique and the fact that you want to save some money and you think doctors make money off of you. You don't really understand that if this preparation is not authentic Botox or authentic Dysport you are risking your lives. “

Matter of fact Mr. RealMD we are!!! Focusing on the injection technique do you think were crazy do you know if you don’t focus on the injection technique that we could really damage ourselves and probably end up looking like some paralyzed freaks walking around, and you ARE risking your life if you dont know how to properly inject the Botox also so please dont play down that aspect of the procedure.. And I don’t understands you when you say authentic how do YOU know your trusting source is authentic I get the same effect as when you give it to me, so how do you know if the effects are the same the wrinkles are gone and the face muscle are numb for a 3-4 month period.

So I ask you again if the effects and the outcome of the Botox injections are the same how can YOU know that your (BOTOX) is the real thing and I am taking a chance with my Botox. To be honest we all including yourself is taking a chance we really do not know what this is doing in the long run, but our quest for the fountain of youth is keeping us on this same road ,the road of trying to keep our youth as long as we can and as safe as we can accomplish it, and that is including myself.

Dee Medspa is number one

Laurie the psycho just emailed me saying she is opening back up fr business and just taking time off for the Holidays. LOL,like we don't know why. She must be nuts thinking we don't know what happened. She must want to go to prison that bad. I'm sticking with mybasicsonline.net. It's cheaper and better from what I can tell.

here is what her email says.....

In a message dated 12/2/2009 3:33:32 P.M. Central Standard Time, discountmedspa@charter.net writes:

We at Discount Medspa have been working to make sure we are here for you for years to come! Please be patient and we will contact you with our new details soon!

There has been lots of media attention to our site and we will be taking some time off to ejoy the Holidays and Relocate. I appreciate all of you and your support during this difficult time, and promise to be available in the near future!

Dana

I’ve been a “self-injector “ for almost 3 years. I inject small amounts of filler frequently and thus have gained practical experience regarding my own face. I studied injection techniques for almost a year before I self-injected – I did not just jump into this, and I hope nobody else does too. My study resources came mostly from physician to physician professional videos, books and even my own injection doctor (past tense) from whom I asked questions and requested a mirror.

I stopped going to my supposedly “expert” filler doc because; 1) the outrageous fees he charged , 2) he didn’t seem to care about his patients at all – it really was about the money – he always charged me extra supposedly for time spent addressing my concerns -- so please don’t tell us docs actually care about us, 3) even though his credentials were impeccable, he is a “doc to doc injection teacher”, he left me very bruised and swollen almost every visit – something I have never done to myself. Thus I started ordering injectables off the Net and Laurie’s site was one of them.

I enjoyed the convenience, great prices, fabulous customer service, and knowing she and others had tried and tested her products (it would have been all over the news/net had someone been seriously harmed /disfigured from her products). Yes, I was very cautious and did a good deal of research regarding her company, her client results/feedback, products and her background before entering my first order.

While I was pleased with the products purchased from Laurie, I was troubled by her aggressive marketing of such and considered her business practice to be very deceptive (and I believe one of her charges are related to just that). This is where my concern with her company lied.

It irked me to see her market generic Chinese HAs as Sculptra (not even close), Restylane, and Juvederm. It also disturbed me to no end to see her market the permanent Chinese filler Amazingel as Artefill -- to even offer a permanent filler to potential first- timers is beyond belief crazy and extremely disturbing.

Yes, I will continue to self-inject, as most others will, as long as doctors remain money hungry and uncaring. But I close this with: buyer beware, do your homework/research (intensely), study anatomy/injection technique, buy pro videos, don’t let anyone tell you “anybody can do it, even a child”, research your product and don’t assume it’s what the seller is telling you it is.

It’s not as hard as the docs make it out to be, but don’t assume anything.

salome

Is this actually possible?

Fake Botox or not, Discount Medspa is going to jail.

Via an almost unbeliveable story on Wired:

A website that sells a prescription drug similar to Botox without requiring a prescription claims it has more than 2,000 customers. Some have learned how to inject the botulism-derived drug into their own faces from YouTube videos produced for the site.
 

Discountmedspa sells a variety of other DIY cosmetic treatments, including prescription Renova, and lip-filling gels. The botulinum toxin-derivative for sale on the site is Dysport, produced by the pharmaceutical company Ipsen and is a competitor of Allergan’s Botox. The site simply calls it “the Freeze.”

A Grand Prairie, Texas, woman, Laurie D’Alleva, who appears to be the site’s proprietor, performs treatments on herself in self-made videos posted to the site’s YouTube channel. In one video, D’Alleva pulls out a vial of what is presumably Dysport and a syringe filled with saline.

“It’s important to remember that you are mixing the potency of the botox,” she says, mixing the contents of the vial with the saline solution. She then injects her forehead and the areas around her eyes.

Ipsen received FDA clearance to sell Dysport in the United States a few months ago, but it’s a prescription medication. It’s the first direct competitor for the branded Botox, which is the most popular cosmetic treatment in America. Doctors did more than 2.4 million Botox procedures in 2008, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. In recent years, the vast amounts of money spent on the treatment have attracted scams and knockoffs, which the FDA has had to crack down on. In May, the FDA also ruled the drug needed a tougher “black-box” warning label to reflect an increased understanding of the small, but real risks of the treatment.

In the U.S., it is illegal for anyone but a doctor or nurse practitioner to prescribe drugs to patients and only pharmacists can dispense drugs to people.

Video: The original YouTube video was pulled by DiscountMedSpa on Wednesday, October 28. Wired.com had saved the source and has embedded that video in the story.

In a blog post response to a customer’s skeptical query, Laurie provided the following explanation for the legality of her site and the provenance of her products.

I know there is much information out on the net about fillers and Botox ‘knock-offs’. This is not what I am selling! The products I have are from a company names Ipsen… I have a connection that allows me to get products that are not usually available in the states because I purchase other products in their line. Now the trick is I have to market it and label it under my own brand, to keep them and myself from getting into any legal trouble. It does take a leap of faith, but I assure you I have over 2000 customers now who love the products and are saving literally hundreds of thousands of dollars between us!

“I watched a Doctor on YouTube.com do this to a patient and he warned people not to inject below the eyes however I had to put a smile on my face too,” Lesley commented on a blog post. “The trick to this is to hold a pencil just at the corner of one side of your mouth and inject two units of Freeze at the very bottom of your chin. This will cause your [sic] very end of your mouth to turn up. Then do the other side the same way. If you don’t get it even you may have a crooked smile so be very careful that the injection is placed in exactly the same place as the other side.”

Her recommendation for another user is to “watch YouTube.com and you will learn a lot of some of the Doctors [sic] secrets to recreating your face the way you want to look.”

Other women describe mishaps with over-injecting the drug.

“My Dr. would never inject the crows feet. I did and got GREAT results!” wrote a commenter named Pat. “Unfortunately, I can’t read those little hash marks on the syringe too well and over injected above the brow on one side. A week later I’m now sporting a half closed and swollen eye, and look ready for Halloween!”

the Texas Department of State Health Services released the following statement, but would not comment further.

“The Texas Department of State Health Services is aware of discountmedspa.com through a complaint we received. That complaint status remains open and under review,” the agency wrote.

The complaint was made under the Texas Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which regulates the sale of prescription drugs like Dysport in the state.

“Botox is a prescription drug that must be dispensed or sold by a licensee pharmacy and only with a prescription from a licensed practitioner. Any over-the-counter sale of Botox is illegal,” the agency affirmed.

Unbelieveable that people could be so dumb as to inject themselves with Botox... or anything else for that matter. Discount Medspa's owner is definately headed for the slammer.

Update on 2009-11-04 17:48 by Medical Spa MD

Discount Medspa Responds:

I just received this email from someone reporting to represent Discount Medspa:

Name: Laurie Sanders
Email Address: sheryar10@hotmail.com
Comments: Hi. I am the owner of the video clip for Discount Medspa that you posted. You do not have permission to use this clip and it is our intellectual property. I hired the model in the video to do the ad, and you have now used her name in the article incorrectly and said she is 'going to jail'. I am requesting that you remove the video and the article as many of your 'facts' are wrong and can be considered slander. We are located in Ontario and do not wish to share any other information with your site.

Of course they're referring to the Wired Magazine article that originally published this story and is quoted above. The video that Laurie is referring to that shows a woman performing do it yourself Botox injections is also from Wired.

You have to love people throwing that 'Slander' term around anytime they don't like what you're saying.

Fake Botox

Federal officials in Washington State indicted three beauty salon proprieters this week for administering phony Botox and for trying to bribe an officer to overlook an unauthorized laser device.

In the first instance, Xin “Faith” He of Natural Beauty in Bellvue, WA told clients she was injecting Botox and the hyaluronic acid dermal filler Restylane when in fact she was injecting counterfeit substances. Her actions led to at least two reported negative reactions since 2004 that required a dermatologist’s or plastic surgeon’s care. One victim (pictured above), who wished to remain anonymous, remarked, “My face looked like Frankenstein’s.”

In the second case, the two owners of Crystal Nails in Burien are charged with offering an official an $800 bribe to overlook a dangerous and unapproved radiation-emitting laser treatment they had imported.

PermaTox: Botox results that are permanent?

PermaTox? I was sent a link to this page by a patient who was asking my opinion about this treatment.

Has anyone heard of this Permatox proceedure? The last line of this pitch discloses that it was developed by prominent cosmetic surgeon named Guillermo Blugerman. In looking up Guillermo Blugerman on Google it seems that he's a surgeon from Argentina.

Any plastic surgeons on the boards here heard of PermaTox or have an opinion on it?

Here's the pitch for PermaTox from a medical spa web site:

PermaTox – A Brand New Procedure That Promises Botox-Like Results That Are Permanent

Tired of frequent Botox injection visits? PermaTox might be the long-term wrinkle solution for you! A new procedure that promises to give you longer lasting results without the needles!

PermaTox - has been tipped as a possible future anti-wrinkle remedy that uses a thin surgical thread to sever the specific nerves that cause frowning, which results in less movement and fewer lines.

While PermaTox patients might still receive periodic Botox® injections in other forehead areas, sometimes keeping the glabella (frowning nerves between the eyes that makes that annoying furrow between the brows) relaxed can, over time, soften wrinkles in other forehead areas, as well.

An observed effect of this treatment has been that eyebrows gradually tend to become more elevated and horizontal forehead lines reduced, potentially eliminating the need for elective surgery or Botox injections entirely for some patients.

PermaTox , is safe and quick, taking only 30 minutes in the office to perform.

Dr. B_____ is the only one performing this procedure and trained by the prominent cosmetic surgeon Guillermo Blugerman, who developed this technique.

Interestingly, all of the Google search results for PermaTox are for pest control.

Doctor fined for injecting fake Botox in his med spa.

Some doc named Halliday in East Syracuse NY injected fake Botox into twelve of his patients and has now received a $20,000 find as put on probation for three years. He's also restricted to practicing medicine only when monitored by another doctor who periodically reviews his records. Nice.

Here's the article:

Halliday is an ear, nose and throat doctor who practices at 4939 Brittonfield Parkway. The state Board for Professional Medical Conduct charged Halliday with 10 counts of professional misconduct including gross negligence, gross incompetence, negligence on more than one occasion and incompetence on more than one occasion.

In a signed consent agreement, Halliday pleaded no contest to two negligence allegations that he failed to advise a patient of her treatment options and failed to obtain an adequate pre-operative history from another patient. The no-contest plea satisfied all the charges against him. The uncontested charges relate to the absence of documentation, said Charles Patton, Halliday's attorney.

"In consultation with me, Dr. Halliday considered the cost and time away from his patients, which defending himself against these allegations in a lengthy proceeding would require," Patton said. "He has elected to resolve this issue by consent agreement so that he might focus his attention entirely upon patient care."

In its statement of charges against Halliday, the board said he injected 12 patients in June 2004 with unapproved botulinum neurotoxin. That drug is made from the same highly potent toxin that can cause botulism, a severe form of foodborne illness. A purified version of the toxin is used to treat wrinkles. It affects the ability of muscles to contract, smoothing out frown lines to make them nearly invisible. Botox is the only type of botulinum toxin approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The board said the version Halliday used was labeled, "For Research Purposes Only -- Not For Human Use."

In June 2005, Halliday wrote to the 12 patients and informed them the drug they received was unapproved and he was unaware of any patients who experienced harmful effects from it, according to the board.

Halliday ordered the botulinum neurotoxin from Toxin Research Inc., the board said. That Tuczon, Ariz., company sold the cheaper, unapproved Botox substitute to more than 200 doctors nationwide, according to the FDA.

Chad Livdahl and Zarah Karim, owners of the company, were convicted of fraud and misbranding a drug and sentenced to prison in 2006. Toxin Research Inc. sold the product to doctors from Manhattan to Las Vegas who learned about the drug at conferences put on by the company, according to the FDA.