Concerns Aussies are DIY injecting cosmetic jabs

Experts say Australians are causing themselves severe damage by injecting themselves with “anti-wrinkle” or “filler” products purchased online.

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration has issued an alert over two separate batches of fake Botox, which were caught and seized at the border. Picture: TGA

Health experts are concerned by a rise in Aussies injecting themselves with dodgy products in a bid to reduce wrinkles and “underground” operators using counterfeit Botox.

Dozens of cases of botulism, a rare and potentially fatal condition that can cause facial paralysis, linked to injectables have emerged in the UK recently.

Botulism can be caused by mishandled or counterfeit shots.

Cosmetic Nurses Association president Sheri-lee Knoop said the organisation was worried about the rise of rogue injectors and fake products in Australia.

“We are extremely concerned about this rise in underground activity,” she said.

“There are definitely patients coming in and reporting that they’re being injected by people who are not on the register.”

She said unqualified people were also buying dangerous anti-wrinkle and filler injectables online and administering these to themselves.

“We’re seeing a rise in self-injecting patients causing themselves severe damage,” she said.

Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine medical dean, cosmetic physician Ronald Feiner, said registered practitioners were aware of patients who had treatments with unregistered injectors.

Dr Ronald Feiner

This resulted in complications like facial nodules, inflammatory reactions and infections, he said.

“These problems are likely consequent to poor techniques along with use of counterfeit products,” Dr Feiner said.

“Frequently, patients do not know what has been injected into their bodies by dodgy injectors conducting their businesses in unregulated and often unhygienic practices.”

He also said self-injecting was on the rise in Australia.

“My colleagues in Sydney have definitely seen the dangers of these practices in their clinics, it’s really quite terrifying,” he said.

“Without a doubt a lot of the injectable products bought online that these people use are counterfeit.”

In Australia, the Database of Adverse Event Notifications has recorded seven cases of botulism reported for Botox or Dysport products, with four this year.

In two of the cases reported so far in 2025, the product administered was termed as counterfeit and one suspected to be counterfeit.

A Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) spokeswoman said the authority actively monitored for signs of counterfeit and falsified medicines within Australia.

“In collaboration with the Australian Border Force, we work to disrupt the unlawful importation and distribution of these illegal products,” she said.

“Counterfeit therapeutic goods cannot be imported, advertised or supplied under any circumstances.

The TGA reminded Australians to only receive cosmetic anti-wrinkle injections from and in consultation with an appropriately registered authorised practitioner.

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration has issued an alert over two separate batches of fake Botox, which were caught and seized at the border. Picture: TGA

In Australia anti-wrinkle injections require a prescription.

In July the TGA warned of two unrelated cases where counterfeit injectable products, purchased online and labelled as Botox, had been stopped at the Australian border.

Unlicensed injector Norsafiza Binti Zakaria, who worked in NSW and Victoria, was banned earlier this year after three women contracted botulism.

Norsafiza Binti Zakaria. Picture: Supplied

Senior lecturer in microbiology at Western Sydney University, Thomas Jeffries, said botulism was a paralytic illness caused by nerve toxins produced primarily by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.

Injectables containing the Clostridium botulinum toxin include Botox and Dysport.

When properly administered by a qualified professional, the purified and diluted version is generally safe.

Dr Jeffries said the toxin could block nerve action so muscles could not contract.

“This causes progressive paralysis in eye muscles, swallowing and breathing muscles,” he said.

“The most serious complications (are) respiratory failure and death without intervention.

“Early symptoms include blurred or double vision, dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, difficulty speaking or swallowing, and escalating weakness.

“Recovery from botulism can take weeks to months, even after antitoxin treatment and some people may not completely return to their baseline health.”

Fatality rates from botulism are around five to 10 per cent in developed countries.

“It can be much higher if left undiagnosed and untreated,” Dr Jeffries said.

A spokesman for the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission said the use of unapproved injectable medicines was a “growing concern”.

“We’ve seen people suffer serious complications — from infections and allergic reactions to permanent disfigurement,” he said.

The commission is seeing an increase in complaints involving adverse outcomes, including alleged cases of botulism.

Originally published as Concerns Aussies are DIY injecting cosmetic jabs