Kristin Podgorski knows beauty can be a fragile gift. She started getting Botox when she was 19. Now in her early 30s, Podgorski said she never had any problems until last summer. It started a few days after a Botox treatment.
"It really looked like I had one eye that was half asleep and one eye that had seen something crazy and was shocked," Podgorski told NBC 5 Responds.
She went back to her long-time injector but didn't get the help she was looking for.
"She did say, you know, 'That's bizarre. That's weird. I don't understand how that could happen.' There was really no medical explanation," said Podgorski.
But there was a medical explanation, and Podgorski knew where to turn next to find it: Registered Nurse Injector Brittony Croasdell, the medical director at Fulcrum Aesthetics.
Speaking of Podgorski’s case, Croasdell told NBC 5 Responds, "I receive probably at least one to two DMs a week all around the world for this exact type of case."
According to Croasdell, Podgorski had developed blepharoptosis, a drooping of the upper eyelid. It's one potential side effect of neuromodulators also known as Botox.
"Literature actually shows that in an experienced injector, the risk of having a blepharoptosis occur is about 0.5%," Croasdell said. She went on to explain the condition is easy to treat under the care of an experienced injector.
Croasdell's clinic is ready for all types of complications.
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"If you're getting a dermal filler, you want to make sure that they have Hylenex in the room with them," Croasdell said. "Should you ever have a vascular occlusion or if any dermal filler gets caught in an artery, this will reverse that for you and keep you safe."
Croasdell said that’s why it's important to choose a medical spa that has an experienced registered nurse, dermatologist or plastic surgeon on site or nearby.
"When we have complications with dermal fillers, in very rare cases some of them may need to be cut out, so surgically excised, and that's really where plastic surgeons come into play and it's incredibly important to have one on staff," said Croasdell.
Key Takeaways
- Experts told NBC 5 Responds you can expect to pay at least $13 to $15 per unit of Botox in Chicago. Any price lower than that means it may not be Botox.
- Correcting botched Botox can be expensive. It can cost up to $1,500 to fix complications like the one Podgorski had. But if the provider who administered the Botox knows how to fix the complication, they will usually cover the charge.
- Croasdell recommends only getting your injections from a registered nurse, physician assistant or doctor. Not an esthetician.
