Botox deals and groupon deals: do it or not?

The Botox offer:

It seems like a good purchase but it isn't. People love good deals and people are even hard looking for them in bad times. This principle explains the raging popularity of Groupon and Groupdeal in today's market. Of course, there's nothing wrong with chasing discounts, especially in “tough times,” but there are exceptions to the rule. Deals are good for items or services, but not when it comes to your health, like a botox offer. For example, would you accept an 'offer' with a 50% discount on your heart surgery? or “have a bowel exam and get the second one for free?” Of course not. These are major medical procedures and, based on an offer, you would never choose such a doctor!

Botox groupon deals:

This brings me to the question why so many people are still willing to have cosmetic procedures via Groupon. Cosmetic treatments are now so widespread in our society that we have “forgotten” that these are real medical procedures — and that there are also risks. Today, there are discounts on Botox at Groupon and on other medical treatments such as laser hair removal to liposuction and hair transplants. These are serious treatments that, if not carried out professionally, can lead to unpleasant complications. Yet, these treatments are routinely offered on Groupon — and hundreds of people buy these 50% off coupons. For various reasons, many doctors, including myself, are against this kind of botox deals. In particular, the ethical and financial consequences have not been properly investigated. In my opinion, too many factors are being overlooked. In my practice, one in five clients is advised not to undergo cosmetic treatment. Not everyone is a good candidate. This is because many people do not need treatment or have wrong expectations. If the client books a treatment via the internet and pays in advance, it is almost impossible to properly screen and prepare the client for treatment. An important responsibility of a renowned cosmetic doctor is to evaluate potential clients both medically and psychologically. Here we look at physical health, but we also try to rule out mental illnesses such as body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). BDD is a serious mental illness in which the person concerned has a poor self-esteem with an obsession about minor flaws in his or her appearance. They are never satisfied with how they look and these patients often undergo multiple cosmetic procedures, even to the point of risking their health. It is estimated that 10 to 20 percent of plastic surgery patients have some form of BDD. This makes screening very important. The fact that someone is willing to purchase discounted cosmetic treatments over the internet may be reason enough to disqualify them as a good candidate for treatment. The client comes in with the discounted treatment, but is also expected to come back for his or her other problems that are then offered at a normal rate. These doctors do everything they can to ensure that these clients keep coming back in the long term to get their money back, let alone make a profit. But that is not the only problem with this method of recruiting clients. Doctors are willing to offer the treatment for 50% of the price because they are betting on returning customers. Groupon, Groupdeal and other sites that offer a Botox discount are entering dangerous territory. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) prohibits its members from giving away cosmetic treatments (as a prize) and is working to ban Groupon and discount promotions. However, the NVCG and the NVPC have not made any statements about this yet. The client is more likely to undergo the treatment because the purchase has already been made via the internet and, for the same reason, the cosmetic doctor feels more compelled to agree to the treatment. This can lead to a crazy doctor-client relationship even before they meet! As a customer, you should ask yourself why an experienced cosmetic doctor with an established reputation would offer an expensive botox treatment at a discount and even half the price? And, if the doctor doesn't make money from the procedure itself, does he plan to make you a long-term customer? Is it a novice doctor who still needs to gain experience or will the doctor “cut corners” to save costs (such as using fake botox)? In another blog about the structure of the price of a botox treatment you can see how the price of Botox is structured and why Botox deals or discounts are not done by reputable clinics. It's hard to say no to great deals, but in the case of cosmetic treatments, think twice. 40 percent off a new coat is nice, but a discount on, for example, an eyebrow lift or a botox treatment? Don't do it! In my opinion, the benefits of a Botox offer really do not outweigh the risks.