Four years after the first warnings, "illegal" injections of botox or hyaluronic acid, outside the medical circuit, are still "increasing sharply", warn health professionals, worried about a phenomenon that has become "out of control" and largely escapes justice.
Promising to fill dark circles, realign a nose, plump lips, or even redefine a jaw, self-proclaimed professionals are illegally offering Botox or hyaluronic acid injections via their social networks – Instagram and TikTok in particular.
"We only have one face and we have it for life. Don't entrust it to just anyone," warned the National Union of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (SNCPRE) on Wednesday, during a press conference bringing together health and legal professionals.
Only plastic surgeons, dermatologists, and cosmetic physicians are authorized to perform cosmetic procedures. But "despite reports and disciplinary and legal actions, this phenomenon continues to spread on social media," the union laments.
In 2025, the Medical Council received 213 reports concerning illegal medical and surgical procedures for cosmetic purposes - a record - and already 28 in 2026. In 2024, the reports were 128, compared to 123 in 2023 and 62 in 2022.
But "these figures remain far below the reality observed on the ground," cautions Dr. Hélène Harmand-Icher, president of the public health section of the Order, because "we are only the last link in the chain."
While professionals concede that the extent of the phenomenon is difficult to measure, Dr. Adel Louafi, Secretary General of the SNCPRE, states that plastic surgeons receive "at least one person per week who is a victim of complications following illegal injections."
"And the problem is that there aren't enough sanctions," he adds.
Of the reports in 2025, 20 resulted in a referral to the prosecutor for illegal practice of medicine, under article 40. Since the beginning of 2026, there have been 3 more.
For its part, the SNCPRE mentions "33 ongoing complaints" against social media accounts, individuals, or aesthetic centers, explains the union's lawyer, Laëtitia Fayon, to AFP.
"It's a phenomenon that unfortunately continues to proliferate," she observes, regretting that the time taken by the justice system for certain cases is "very long, too long."
– “Sacrificed lives” –
The lawyer cites a complaint filed in 2022 against the Lyon-based beauty institute Aunessa, after the discovery on social media of videos showing injections done by non-doctors and in conditions raising concerns – at home or in an apartment.
The investigation is still ongoing and, despite the two managers being formally charged nearly a year ago, they continue to operate in Lyon and also in Paris, according to Mr. Fayon. "This is the most astonishing case because we see that, for four years, nothing has stopped them, not even the justice system."
And behind the promises of immediate results and seemingly attractive prices (a few hundred euros) often lie "considerable dangers", warns the union.
Necrosis, serious infections, embolisms, irreversible deformities, emergency hospitalizations… “These risks are linked to the absence or poor sterilization and also to the lack of traceability of products,” in all cases of “counterfeits,” points out Dr. Jean-François Delahaye.
"It can even be water and we've also had cases of olive oil," says the plastic surgeon.
Health authorities and the Ministry of Health repeatedly warned last year about the risks of these illegal injections, after the discovery of several cases of botulism caused by these injections.
Eight cases reported in Ile-de-France between August and September 2024 all presented severe symptoms, most of which required hospitalization in intensive care: difficulty speaking or swallowing (aspiration), difficulty walking, blurred or double vision, breathing difficulties (requiring a tracheotomy for some).
Warning of a danger of "trivialization", professionals are calling for intensified mobilization against non-medical practices, notably through strengthened controls and better coordination between the justice system and the health sector.
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