⚠️ A shocking case from County Durham (UK) has made headlines worldwide:
A young woman was injected with illegally imported, counterfeit botulinum toxin (“Toxpia” from Korea) by a beauty therapist – not a doctor.
She soon collapsed at home, stopped breathing, and had to be resuscitated and rushed to ICU. She spent days on life support, unable to speak or move.
🧪 In total, 28 people were hospitalised after receiving this unlicensed product. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c89eey7jjeno
💉 Toxpia is unlicensed, not approved for use in the UK or South Africa. It was administered by a non-medical injector and sold at a fraction of the cost of legitimate, approved botulinum toxin treatments.
🚫 This is both illegal and dangerous.
In South Africa, it is a criminal offence for anyone other than a registered medical doctor or dentist to inject botulinum toxin.
👉 What went wrong?
- Counterfeit, imported product
- Non-medical injector
- No emergency protocols or medical training
👉 Could this happen in South Africa?
Yes. These products are easily purchased online, and illegal injectors offering dangerously cheap “B-tox” treatments do exist here.
🧠 Botulism is not a “bad reaction” – it’s a serious form of poisoning that can cause respiratory failure, paralysis, and even death.
✅ AAMSSA urges the public:
- Always check your injector’s qualifications – they must be a registered doctor or dentist
- If something feels off, walk away – no aesthetic result is worth your life
🙅♀️ Say NO to underground aesthetic treatments.
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