Safety of non-surgical aesthetic treatments

Cosmetic interventions are expanding rapidly in the United Kingdom. They are classified into surgical, which include face-lifts, blepharoplasty and breast implants, or non-surgical such as dermal fillers, Botulinum Toxin (Botox) and the use of laser or intense pulsed light. These latter account for nine out of ten procedures and 75% of the market value. Presently, the non-surgical interventions market is almost entirely unregulated and requires no qualifications to perform.

Sir Bruce Keogh’s report into the Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions singled out dermal fillers as a “crisis waiting to happen”.  This was corroborated by a British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons survey which found 69% of its surgeons had seen patients presenting with complications following temporary fillers, and 49% had seen complications following semi- or permanent fillers. Furthermore, 41% of surgeons reported having seen patients who either required corrective surgery or were assessed as being untreatable due to the damage that…