The aesthetics and beauty industry has grown exponentially over the last decade. Perhaps part of it we can blame on social media, which has had a dramatic effect on the way our younger generations view beauty and how they should and shouldn’t look.
Last year, the beauty industry was valued at $532 billion internationally. Because of this, many beauty and non-medical practitioners take advantage of the industry’s success and high demand and don’t take into consideration the safety of their clients and the correct measures that should be in place.
The importance of safety in aesthetics needs to be at the forefront of clinics and their customers’ minds since both surgical and non-surgical treatments have lasting effects on people’s appearance.
In this blog, we aim to spread awareness of the importance of safety in the aesthetics industry so that potential patients don’t waste their time, and money, and most importantly, minimise the risk of the procedure going wrong.
What Can Happen if You Choose the Wrong Clinic and Doctor
Spending plenty of time researching the best clinic and doctor for the treatments you are looking at getting done is vital. When you don’t do any research, you could end up choosing the wrong clinic that either isn’t regulated or doesn’t perform the procedures correctly. As a result of this, you could find that you have issues arising after receiving an aesthetic treatment which is usually normal, but there is an increased risk of serious complications including nerve damage, blindness, and unnatural-looking results.
It’s always a good idea to speak to others about any aesthetic treatment that you’re wanting, since they may be able to advise you with a recommendation or a good place to start looking.
Why Safety in Aesthetics is Important
Although the medical aesthetic industry is highly regulated, unfortunately, the beauty industry isn’t. Theoretically, a beautician could take a short training course in surgical and non-surgical “beauty” procedures, such as lip fillers, wrongly injecting what could be a harmful substance into the skin with no remedies if it potentially goes wrong.
Unfortunately, not enough people are educated about the fact that beauticians are not fully trained or qualified to give these aesthetic treatments. They are often not fully educated themselves about the practice behind medical aesthetics. Consequently, this means if something goes wrong, they don’t have the necessary medical training, skills, or expertise to be able to handle any negative consequences.
The scale of the problem is vast and becoming more and more common, particularly in the UK. According to the director of Save Face, 86 per cent of treatment complaints at the Save Face organisation were about procedures performed by beauticians, hairdressers, or laypeople. Unfortunately, people can now teach themselves how to perform these treatments using YouTube and unregulated products sold online.
In the UK, procedures like laser hair removal, chemical peels and botulinum injections can be legally performed by anyone, no matter if they have medical experience and training or not.
Carrying Out Intensive Research Before Treatments
It’s essential to research your desired beauty treatment and the clinics and doctors who may specialise in that treatment. Regardless of the procedure, you should go to a medically educated and highly trained doctor, making sure they are on the medical register and that they have several years of experience behind them. You should also ask for proof of certification; anyone who is certified and carries treatments properly will be more than happy to share them with you.
Additionally, it’s vital to find out if you can have such treatments if you have underlying health issues, any other medical complications, or if you are pregnant. Sadly, there are some people out there who won’t do a proper consultation with you to find out these things which increases your risk of complications. Your health and safety are too important to risk something going wrong, so research is key!
Medical Clinic Rules and Regulations
There is a major lack of regulation when it comes to the aesthetic industry, as treatments like Botox injections can have complications when it isn’t carried out by someone who has the appropriate qualifications. This can be concerning as some treatments are more invasive than others, like Botox, which requires prescription medication that should only be prescribed by a medical professional. Fake Botox is also known to have been used by unscrupulous practitioners.
Investing in a conscientious service is important, which is why here at Skin Excellence Clinics, we are proud to have a CQC-regulated clinic, as only a small number of businesses that offer aesthetic procedures are CQC registered. This is the same regulatory body that regulates medical clinics, hospitals, GPs, and dentists, so consider this an important factor when you’re choosing your practitioner.
There was a law that passed in April 2022 which now gives the UK Government the power to announce a new licensing scheme to regulate premises and practitioners who carry out particular procedures, although these details have not been fully written or passed yet.
Choosing the Right Doctor to Minimise Risks and Maximise Safety
With the rise and demand for aesthetic treatments, there are many doctors and clinics to choose from. You can choose the right practitioner and clinic by creating a checklist of questions to research and ask them personally. Some of these may include what the doctor has qualifications in, how many years of experience they have, what the premises of the clinic are like, what would happen in the state of an emergency, and if they have proof of certification to help maximise your safety.
We believe you can be confident in the overall safety of aesthetic treatments when you are offered complete and utter transparency, which is what we’ll give you here at Skin Excellence Clinics. We care about our patients and promise that every time you visit, you’ll receive the continuity of care and all the reassurance you need. We look at all treatments from a patient perspective, not profit.
Book your consultation today or call us on 0800 298 2391. We have clinics in Plymouth and Wells that provide the highest quality, safest, non-surgical treatments in the South and Southwest.