In a booming industry, the distribution & manufacturing of counterfeit and fake H. A products is inevitable.  Global circulation of counterfeit and fake products is prevalent and causes a great deal of stress for official manufacturers, distributors and subsequently customers. So In a market with so many different products available, how do you spot the counterfeits?

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1) is anyone available to talk? -The first thing you need to check when you find an online provider of aesthetic products (or products in general) is it possible to contact the company. Is there just a contact form you need to fill out (and hope for a reply?), or is there a phone number you can call? Maybe, there is an online chat available, where you can interact with real employees If so, call the company or reach out on the chat. If you get a hold on a ‘real’ employee, the chances that the company is genuine just increased.

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2)Product identification

Products such as medical devices are required to have identifications. An identification of a batch code/lot number is required in order to be able to trace and recall the products. Furthermore such products are required to have an expiry date.

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3)Prices

As the saying goes if its too good to be true, it probably is. Typically, if a product is super marked down there is a good chance that the product is a counterfeit. Even though product prices vary on the market, importers and distributors of authentic dermal fillers all initially buy products within a certain price range.

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4)Special trademarks

A fake product will be obvious for most professionals in the beauty industry: if someone offer you to buy cheap Festylane (instead of Restylane) by altering a letter on the packaging, you will know it is a fake. It is indeed more challenging to identify a counterfeit product at times, since it looks so close to the original product, that the naked eye will find it almost impossible to distinguish. However, if the product has an official holographic sticker, this is one thing good to compare. Other things to look for on the outer packaging could be misspelling or the use of a different font. A real-life example regarding Allergan showed a counterfeit Juvéderm product where there was a misspelling on one side of the outer packaging. On the authentic product it said “Science of Rejuvenation” but on the counterfeit product it said “Science of Erjuvenation”. 

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5)Social media presence

Does the seller have presence on social media? If yes, it is a sign that the company is legitimate. Search for the company on media platforms like Facebook, Instagram If the company updates relevant information and pictures of products it definitely increases the company’s credibility. In addition, is the company responding to comments left by customers and followers? If yes, it means that the company is responsive and that someone is on the other end of the line.

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(Credit due to information sourced off the prime journal.)

Authentic or fake? A guide to buying dermal fillers safely online. (n.d.). Retrieved from