One in seven Mancunians who undergo skincare treatments have allowed untrained friends or acquaintances to inject them with Botox or Dermal Fillers, research has revealed.
The study, carried out by Transform Cosmetic Surgery (TSC), also revealed that 16% of Mancunians would undergo non-invasive body sculpting treatments from a person who is not appropriately qualified to perform the treatment.
Of those asked, 83% said they believed it was important that someone administering these kinds of procedures is adequately qualified to perform non-surgical treatments.
However, 17% would undergo cosmetic dentistry, non-invasive body sculpting and Botox from someone not appropriately qualified to do so.
Amanda Pierce, Clinical Director of Amanda Pierce Aesthetics, said: “Injecting Botox or Dermal Fillers without the appropriate training and experience carries a number of very real risks such as making the face lopsided, drooping of the mouth causing dribbling and difficulty with speech, infections in the face leading to abscesses and permanent damage in severe cases.”
As well as these admissions, people also confessed to not always undergoing treatment in a clinical environment with a quarter of respondents having had a treatment at a local beauty salon, 5% have happily been treated at a friend’s house, and one in 50 have been treated at home.
Dr Tim Pearce, Clinical Director SkinViva Ltd, said: “Over the last 12 months, we’ve noticed a rising number of enquiries from non-medical professionals (such as beauty therapists) looking to train in Botox and Dermal Fillers with SkinViva Training.
“Unfortunately, despite independent recommendations in April 2013, the government has not yet produced any regulatory guidelines for carrying out such cosmetic treatments, resulting in a lack of clarity about who can and should be practising.
“Carried out by experienced and qualified clinicians, Botox and Dermal Fillers can have an extremely positive and sometimes life-changing impact. My advice to anyone thinking of having a treatment for the first time would be to do your research, ensure your clinician is a fully qualified medical practitioner experienced in the field of aesthetics, and ask for a free consultation.”
The research was commissioned to highlight the need for a new charter for the non-surgical cosmetics industry, which TSC is developing to demonstrate its own commitment to the highest standards of patient care and to set a benchmark for the sector.
Dr Hilary Jones, who has voiced his support for a new charter, said: “There are far too many places in this country where people can be injected with Dermal Fillers by individuals with minimal or no training in completely unsuitable environments, with potentially dangerous products.”
Ms Pierce added: “In the right hands these procedures offer fantastic results, but they need to be carried out by medically trained staff with experience in aesthetic medicine in a safe clinical setting.”
Image courtesy of ec-jpr via Flickr, with thanks.
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