Botox on wheels: Hay River woman launching mobile Botox clinic

A fifth-wheel trailer turned mobile Botox clinic will be making its rounds to communities in the N.W.T. this fall.

The mobile service, called Best of You, will give residents of the South Slave region the option to get Botox injections, which are predominantly used to reduce wrinkles.

Susan Balmer, a nurse practitioner from Hay River, says the new business venture is part of her retirement plan. 

It may not be a prevalent treatment in the North, but Balmer says there's a demand for this type of cosmetic service.

"I think it's sort of considered a city activity. You know, for professionals," she said. "But you know what, it's not. I think it just hasn't been provided as a really big service [here]."

Botox works by blocking signals from the nerves to the muscles, which causes wrinkles to relax and soften.

Balmer took a Botox and fillers course at the Atlantic Training Institute of Medical Aesthetics in Nova Scotia, which is certified by the Canadian Board of Aesthetic Medicine.

She began offering services in May out of a space she rents in L'Eskal Spa in Hay River. Balmer says her clients range in age from people in their early 20s to their 60s. Some are professions, but others seniors and stay-at-home moms.

There's been a lot of interest from the surrounding communities, Balmer says. People in Fort Resolution, Fort Smith and Fort Simpson have reached out to her.

"There's a lot of support and excitement about that kind of service coming to them."

Botox treatments are available in Yellowknife. Balmer says the mobile clinic will be more convenient for people outside of the capital.

She says the trailer is a perfect fit for her clinic because it has everything she needs — a bathroom, good lighting and running water. She dressed it up with a spa bed and new curtains.

What are the risks?

Judith Fletcher, a family doctor from Vancouver, practised aesthetic medicine for six years. 

Fletcher says the pharmaceutical company that produces the majority of Botox, Allergan Inc., is careful about who they sell it to.

However, Fletcher says if someone isn't familiar with the anatomy of the face and muscle structure, they could inject a client incorrectly, causing paralysis or a droopy face.

"You could never get enough Botox into a needle to inject it to the point where it would cause anything more serious than that," Fletcher said.

Unlike fillers, which are injected to provide fullness to areas like the cheeks and lips, Botox can't be reversed, Fletcher explained. She says if a patient isn't happy with the results they have to wait three to four months until the product wears off.

Despite being a relatively low-risk procedure, Fletcher cautioned that while the product itself is well-regulated, rules surrounding who can administer the product are more loose and vary by jurisdiction.

The Registered Nursing Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut confirmed to CBC that in the N.W.T., a nurse practitioner can inject Botox without the supervision of a physician.

Hitting the road

The motivation for starting this type of cosmetic work came from Balmer's love of being a nurse, she said.

"It is just my joy. So I didn't want to give it up totally and looked at opportunities to still be able to use those skills."

Balmer says she chose the name Best of You because it speaks to the individuality of her clients.

She said many leave not only looking better, but feeling better.

"What I wanted was something that people are really happy coming to me [for]."

Balmer plans to start offering fillers after she completes a course. She expects to hit the road with the mobile clinic by late August or early September.