Health

Australians are becoming increasingly informed about cosmetic treatments, carefully researching practitioners and comparing clinics before booking appointments. However, according to cosmetic industry leader Dr Vivek Eranki, there is one important question many patients overlook: How has the product been handled before it reaches the clinic?

Dr Eranki, founder and CEO of Yooli™, says consumers should not only ask who is performing their injectable treatment, but also where the product came from, how it was transported and whether it remained within the manufacturer’s recommended temperature range.

“Most people assume that if they attend a reputable clinic, everything behind the scenes has been taken care of,” Dr Eranki said.

“The reality is that Botox is a prescription medicine requiring careful handling from the time it leaves the manufacturer until it is prepared for treatment. Consumers have every right to know where that product has come from and how it has been managed.”

Dr Eranki said injectable medicines are transported through a carefully controlled “cold chain” to preserve their quality and integrity.

“Temperature control is not simply a recommendation. It forms part of the manufacturer’s requirements for maintaining the product throughout the supply chain,” he said.

He added that while patients may notice a treatment has not produced the expected results, they often have no way of knowing how the product was handled before it reached the clinic.

Before being administered, prescription medicines pass through manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and clinics.

“Consumers should ask whether that journey has been documented, whether appropriate handling procedures have been followed and whether the clinic can demonstrate the product’s origin,” Dr Eranki said.

He also warned that increasingly sophisticated counterfeit cosmetic products have made traceability more important than ever.

Dr Eranki believes transparency should become a routine part of every cosmetic consultation.

“People can track the delivery of a parcel to their front door, yet many have no visibility over the journey taken by a prescription medicine that is about to be injected into their face,” he said.

He believes clinics that openly discuss product sourcing and handling demonstrate confidence in their systems and commitment to patient care. Digital platforms can also provide patients with access to treatment records, including products used, treatment dates and clinical notes.

Questions worth asking

Before proceeding with injectable treatment, Dr Eranki encourages patients to ask whether the product is genuine and approved for use in Australia, where it originated, how it was transported and stored, and whether detailed treatment records will be available.

“A professional clinic should welcome these questions because informed patients are confident patients,” he said.

“If you can’t access information about the product’s authenticity or handling, it is impossible to know why it may not be performing as expected.”

Dr Eranki believes the future of cosmetic medicine will be defined not only by clinical outcomes, but by greater transparency, giving patients confidence in both their practitioner and the products being used.