Today, cosmetic injections come in countless varieties—whitening injections, fat-dissolving injections, body-enhancing injections... virtually anything you can imagine can be found. But have you considered safety? Are cosmetic injections something you can just get done casually? No matter how convenient or minimally invasive micro-plastic surgery may be, it's ultimately not as simple as applying a face mask. We've previously discussed the relationship between the FDA and cosmetic injections—the safest approach is to choose products approved by the FDA!
Last time, I provided a detailed list of legitimate hyaluronic acid brands. Unfortunately, new cosmetic injections with various names emerge daily in this industry. Some of you might be using products not mentioned before. So, risking potential backlash, I'll list some currently unregulated yet widely circulated cosmetic injections I've identified:
1.Whitening Injections
I'm sure everyone is familiar with these—a wildly popular type of injection touted as the secret behind celebrities' perpetually sun-resistant skin. It's not a simple injection but an intravenous drip; reportedly, a full course of treatments yields visible results.
However, I must clarify: currently, there is no single legally approved whitening injection formulation available in China!Most whitening injections are now mixed and administered on-site, commonly containing glutathione, tranexamic acid, and vitamin C. While some Korean whitening injection formulations exist, they haven't been approved by China's drug regulatory authority. So if you're considering purchasing imported whitening injections through other channels and having them administered by a doctor or self-administering them, you might want to think twice!Also, be extremely cautious about whitening injection recommendations on Taobao or WeChat Moments!!
2. Fat-dissolving injections
Another controversial gray-area cosmetic injection! The main ingredient in fat-dissolving injections is phosphatidylcholine, extracted from soybeans. It was originally used clinically to treat fat embolism and eliminate triglycerides in the blood, but later gradually adopted for localized fat reduction.China's drug regulatory authority has not approved any fat-dissolving injection products for cosmetic use. Therefore, do not blindly trust recommendations from others to get these injections, as the true nature and origin of the products are extremely difficult to verify!
3. Human Placenta Extract
Human placenta extract broadly refers to products made from substances extracted from human placenta.These products contain inherent active ingredients from the placenta, purportedly offering health benefits or therapeutic effects. Currently, some beauty salon practitioners promote them as cutting-edge, comprehensive anti-aging solutions. The products they use are primarily sourced through personal shoppers from Japan and South Korea. However, the drug regulatory authority has never approved such cosmetic injection products!
4. Ivorylane
Notably, this French-imported dermal filler was once a legitimate product with regulatory approval. However, after its approval expired in September 2009, Ivorylane never received renewed authorization from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). The NMPA issued a notice revoking its approval as early as January 31, 2012.
On August 3, 2012, the China Food and Drug Administration issued a notice requiring investigation and handling of specific batches of Evilan injectable synthetic gel products. Subsequently, the distributor stated they would actively cooperate and immediately recall the named batch numbers unconditionally. Out of caution and a commitment to consumer responsibility, they also announced a comprehensive recall of all other batch numbers.
Given this, the continued presence of Evlan in the cosmetic surgery market today is highly questionable! Yet the reality is:
A product that has long been withdrawn from approval and subject to an official recall should still be used with extreme caution!
To date, the domestic micro-cosmetic industry remains rife with chaos, with the misuse of cosmetic injections being a major issue. The examples I've cited may only scratch the surface. I urge everyone to stay vigilant, stay informed, and avoid being deceived by unscrupulous beauty salons and certain clinics! I will continue to update you as new "black market" products are uncovered!