How Do You Qualify as a Botox/Injectables Technician?

Hello Miss Holly.  Unfortunately, in almost every locale we know of, you need to have a medical license to inject Botox.  Botox is a pharmaceutical drug and as such it's use is limited to the medical community (at least in the US).  We are not aware of the exact regulations in Canada, but would guess that you might need a medical license such as RN, PA, NP or MD to be able to inject.  Good luck.

Different countries and different states in the U.S. have different regulations about who can inject Botox an fillers.  If the state allows non-physicians to do injections, then usually, the physician is still needed to hire those assistants under his or her supervision.

The laws regulating who can legally perform injections vary from state to state and presumably the same in Canada, but in all cases it is a prescrition medical product, meaning that a physician is responsible. Most areas allow the physician to delegate to a licensed medical practtitioner such as a nurse or physician assistant, and the supervision requirements also vary. I am not aware of any specific job or training of injector technician.

In California, one has to be a doctor or an nurse to legally inject Botox.  You can't get qualified to inject Botox unless you are licensed by the state with either a RN or MD degree.  RN's who inject Botox work under the supervision of a doctor.

Thank you for your question MissHolly. I understand your concern. Botox is a purified protein
used to address wrinkles associated with facial expression. When injected into
the skin Botox will relax the muscles and smoothen out the overlying wrinkles. The
most common areas of treatment are in the upper face. These include the
horizontal lines seen on the upper forehead when one raises the brows, the
vertical lines seen between the brows when one frowns (frown lines), and the
crow's feet seen around the eyes when one smiles.
Botox is a prescription strength medication that
is injected into the skin or other areas. Therefore, it is important that the
treatment is performed by a trained medical professional. This can be a
physician, physician’s assistant, nurse practitioner, or nurse. Laws vary from
jurisdiction to jurisdiction on who is allowed to provide the treatment. In
California, for example, any of these aforementioned medical professional is
permitted to provide a treatment. With the recent explosion of cosmetic
medicine, there are more and more people offering such services. This includes
core physicians such as plastic surgeons and dermatologists as well as other
physicians who are trained in cosmetic treatments such as general physicians,
gynecologists, or other specialists.

Holly, I admire your passion for our art, however, I do not feel TGAT one can grasp the magnitude of facial anatomy & the physiology of neurotoxins & filler molecules after anything less than a professional degree containing exposure to physiology & human anatomy.

This is more of a legal question than a medical one.  Since you live in Ottawa I would check with the medical board in Ontario to find the requirements to become a botox injector.  Here is California botox injections can only be given be a state licensed M.D. or R.N. 

Each state is different depending on the state regulations, but Botox is a prescription product so should only be used under the supervision of a doctor.  Usually only physicians and nurse practitioners and Physicians do this in Tennessee.  Botox injection are not as simple as they appear.  Even physicians who arent trained in dermatology or plastic surgery are now doing Botox with a high rate of complications.  there is no course to get "qualified" to do Botox.  You must have a medical license or a provider license.

In my opinion Botox and fillers should only be injected by a licensed practitioner, such as a physician, physician assistant, or registered nurse. In my practice I am the only injector. I do not delegate this authority to anyone else. I believe I have an obligation to my patients to provide them with my many years of training in anatomy, a degree of training that is more than any nurse or physician assistant will have had in their training programs. Knowledge of how the products interact with the tissues in which they are placed is crucial to a cosmetically appealing and safe outcome.

Regardless of who does the injection, it should only be done under the direction and supervision of a physician. It is always ultimately the physician who is supervising the injector who is responsibile for outcome, safety and complications. If a problem occurs, a physician should be involved with dealing with it.

The short answer is that it depends on the state where you are living, and the requirements for that medical board. (This is true in Canada too.) No matter what, though, each injector must practice under a licensed physician, as products are only distributed to them through legitimate vendors.

In Nevada, frighteningly, anyone can inject - physicians, PAs, RNs, MAs, even aetheticians. This is why we have a high rate of problems with injections and technique! If you can find a physician who would allow you to learn to inject, then the associated companies of the products (i.e., Allergan for Botox and Juvederm, Medicis for Restylane, Perlane, and Dysport, Merz for Radiesse, etc.) do have physicians who travel and teach injectors. The company reps could tell you how this works. Also there are training courses through various CME programs, but you have to be sponsored by physicians to attend.

However, my best answer is the following: I truly believe only physicians and very experienced RNs or PAs should be injecting. While many people think the injections look simple, that's usually because they are watching highly trained physicians with years of experience.