Mar 06, 2014

In recent weeks, registered plastic surgeons have begun to speak out about the worryingly lax laws in the cosmetic procedures industry. New rules and regulations have emerged, but the BBC has reported that the flimsy new laws pay “only lip service” to patient safety, according to some plastic surgeons.

The UK alone boasts a cosmetic procedure industry worth over£2.3bn, 75% of which is accounted for by non-surgical procedures. This is perhaps why injectable beautifiers such as dermal fillers and Botox have become so attractive to untrained businesspeople looking to take advantage of this growing industry. Beauticians and hairdressers have increasingly been known to offer the syringe to their clients, but few have enough training to provide a sufficiently safe and good quality service.

Interestingly, Professional Beauty Magazine has reported that a recent survey found that 90% of women would avoid taking the risk of receiving treatment from someone not qualified to administer non-surgical treatments. However, the same survey also found that one in four male non-surgical patients receive treatments from untrained friends, revealing a worrying trend for DIY treatments in the growing market for procedures for men. Under the current regulations, treatments can even take place in garages without any reprimand from the law, promoting the unhygienic, inexperienced administration of potentially dangerous and disfiguring products.

The UK government is hoping to improve the situation soon by making it illegal for anybody to offer dermal fillers and Botox injections without adequate professional training. Any practitioners who offer fillers must do so under a specific doctor or nurse, who will interview each patient to discuss their treatment from a medical perspective. Yet, despite these moves, there will not be a central register of qualified practitioners, so patients will have no way of knowing if the person holding the syringe is legitimate or otherwise.

The safest way to undergo a non-surgical procedure is to see a qualified doctor or nurse, rather than a beauty therapist. Providers of non-surgical cosmetic treatments don’t have to be registered with the Care Quality Commission, but logos to look out for are the General Medical Council (GMC) for plastic surgeons and dermatologists, and the Nursing and Midwifery Council for nurses. Legitimate UK doctors and nurses will be registered with these groups.

At Austingraces, we take non-surgical treatments just as seriously as surgical operations. We make sure to talk through every treatment with you as thoroughly as we can, ensuring that you are confident with undergoing the procedure, and most importantly confident in us.

For further information about our surgeon’s qualifications, click here. If you want to learn more about Botox injections, dermal fillers, and the other non-surgical procedures we offer, feel free to explore the Austingraces website, and contact us on 0845 020 621 if you have any more questions.