Would you feel completely comfortable having a tooth extracted by a beauty therapist who had learned that one procedure and had observed dentists performing it, but had no other medical training? Or would you prefer a qualified dentist to do it? You should have the same thought process when it comes to anti-ageing injections and Fillers.
Both procedures are classed as non-surgical and both involve having a substance injected into your body – but if the person holding the needle isn’t a trained clinician, you could end up scarred for life.
This isn’t about doctors thinking they are more superior and skilled than therapists, it’s simply about what each has been trained to do, and the risk they could pose to a patient. It’s not illegal for beauty therapists to perform filler injections, it’s just not a good idea in terms of patient safety.
Whether you’re considering anti-ageing injections or Fillers; (both are used to rectify or prevent the signs of ageing; while fillers are typically used to add volume and plump the skin, anti-ageing injections temporarily blocks nerve signals in the muscles where it’s injected to restrict movement and treat ‘expression lines’.) one thing is for certain – you need to put your safety first.
Worldwide, hyaluronic acid-based injectables (fillers) were the second most common procedure performed in 2017 – behind only anti-ageing injections – according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and over the last few years there has been an increase in ‘bogus’ nurses and amateur beauticians performing unsafe treatments in non-clinical surroundings. As a result, they say more patients are suffering from parts of their lips becoming lumpy or disproportionate in size, infections, ulceration or necrosis (when the lip tissue dies and goes black).
Anyone can buy hyaluronic acid gel and inject it into someone’s lips. This is because there are no laws in the UK that regulate people who carry out non-surgical cosmetic procedures, such as lip fillers.
Meanwhile, anti-ageing injections are classed as a prescription-only medicine in the UK, which means it can only be prescribed and given to a patient by a qualified prescriber. Only medical professionals can qualify as prescribers, so therapists can only perform anti-ageing injections if they work alongside a prescribing clinician. The prescriber cannot dispense the toxin remotely; they must be present at a patient consultation and the prescriber also has responsibility for the outcome of the procedure.
This means that reputable clinics will only employ medical professionals such as doctors, nurses, and dentists to administer toxin and filler treatments.
Though current legislation does not prevent therapists from performing injectable treatments, it is likely that regulations will be introduced at some point – anti-ageing injections and Fillers may be ‘non-surgical’, but they involve a medical procedure and are not just a beauty treatment.
Dermal filler injections are not superficial skin treatments, they are needle injections that penetrate the skin to a depth that increases the risk of complications. It’s therefore important to remember that it isn’t just about who can wield a syringe but who has the ability to deal with any possible complications.
If you would like to know more about your options then get in touch with our qualified, friendly team including Deborah Elwiss-Mcnally our advanced aesthetic nurse practitioner and book at our Liverpool clinic here
