Are Dermal Fillers Regulated?
Posted by molanparker on December 19th, 2017
Dermal fillers regulation
Cosmetic industry in the UK is booming with increasing number of patients opting for breasts augmentations, facelifts, liposuctions and fillers. According to the latest fillers, the aesthetic industry is worth a staggering £3.6 billion. Experts believe that this figure is fueled by the pressure put on women to look good and to fit a particular mould created by the celebrities.
Statistics of British Association of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) show that in the year 2015, more than 51,000 people opted for some sort of cosmetic treatment. 91% of these people were women while the number of men seeking cosmetic procedures has doubled in the past decade. The surgical procedures such as breast enhancement, liposuction and facelifts are regulated by Care Quality Commission and strictly controlled by the bodies such as BAAPS. While mistakes can still be made, but the patients opting for these procedures are confident and sure that the doctors are following a code of conduct while performing their procedures.
However, there are cosmetic procedures that are categorised as Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedures. The most popular treatments in this category are Botox and dermal fillers. Dermal fillers are used to smoothen lines and wrinkles and are injected beneath the skin. Non-surgical cosmetic procedures are the major contributors to the aesthetic industry revenues. According to statistics, 9 out of 10 cosmetic procedures comprise of non-surgical cosmetic treatments,and around 75% of the money spent in the cosmetic industry is on them. Experts believe that aesthetic industry is partly driven by TV, magazines, celebrities, social media – especially the selfie culture. In this era, it is not surprising that people are tempted to good and reduce the signs of ageing from their face in quick time.
Most of the people would be surprised to discover that dermal fillers are practically unregulated in the UK; they have the same degree of regulation as the usage of ballpoint or toothbrushes. Almost anybody can use it or do its administration. Fillers can be bought on the internet without any prescription or license. There are practically no rules about the usage of different types of fillers. The code of conduct according to which the licensedpractitioner's work is self-devised by observing the effects offillers on their patients.
What can go wrong?
Fillers are injected directly beneath the skin and remain there for almost half a year and then break down in the body. When an unskilled, uncertified and an inexperienced practitioner injects the filler, the effects can be devastating – both cosmetically and medically. The infamous “trout pout” is an effect of the filler administered by unskilled hands. Usually, these results fade with the passage of time, but they are consequences include permanent scarring or medical problems.
In rare cases, the side effects can lead to blindness (both temporary and permanent) and skin death. If a patient is struck by bad luck and ends up being injected by a non-licensed practitioner, then he cannot complain to any organisation or committee in case of side effects. Doctor Etemad-Shahidi, who is not only a skilled practitioner but also trains future aesthetician in the Harley Street Institute advises her patients to carefully research about the doctor before booking the treatment.
