New York City health officials released a serious warning after 10 people ended up in hospitals between May and August 2025. They all got sick from fake Botox injections they bought through social media. This wasn’t just a bad cosmetic result. These people faced life-threatening health problems that required emergency medical care.
According to People, three of the 10 victims needed to be put on ventilators to help them breathe. Doctors had to insert breathing tubes and use machines to keep them alive. All 10 people survived after getting treated with botulism antitoxin, which stops the poison from spreading in the body. Without fast treatment, the symptoms of botulism can quickly cause severe muscle weakness throughout the body.
The New York City Department of Health issued an official warning. The warning was based on a November 27 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least one of the sick people was a New York resident.
People bought unlabeled products from social media vendors
The sick people told investigators they saw ads for cheap Botox on social media platforms like TikTok. After seeing these ads, they contacted the sellers and bought the products using messaging apps like WhatsApp. This meant they completely avoided doctors, clinics, and any safety checks. This isn’t the first time trusting strangers online has led to dangerous situations, as one woman discovered after meeting someone from social media.
What they received were vials of white powder with no labels at all. These containers had no product name, no dosage information, and no expiration date. There were also no manufacturer details, lot numbers, instructions, or safety warnings. All of this information is required on real medical products so doctors know exactly what they’re using.
Injecting these unregulated products caused severe botulism symptoms in the victims. Early signs included blurred or double vision, drooping eyelids, and slurred speech. Then came difficulty swallowing and breathing problems. As the illness got worse, victims experienced muscle weakness that spread down through their bodies over hours or days. This is why three people needed ventilators to survive.
Health officials are now strongly warning people to only get Botox injections from licensed medical providers. Never buy at-home injection kits online, no matter how cheap they are. The small amount of money saved is not worth the risk of ending up in a hospital on a ventilator.
Dangerous decisions can have lasting consequences, similar to a predator’s disturbing final request that shocked authorities. Botox contains a powerful toxin that needs expert handling and strict quality control. Your health should never be trusted to random sellers on social media.
Published: Dec 2, 2025 02:01 pm