Non-surgical aesthetic treatments have become increasingly popular over the last few years, with anti-wrinkle treatments and lip enhancement procedures in particular finding increased popularity with a younger audience. However, as a result of the rise in popularity, there has also been a worrying rise in non-medically trained “Aesthetic Practitioners” offering injectable treatments, as well as an increase in uninsured and unscrupulous clinics, many offering bargain-basement prices or offering unsafe treatments, like syringe-sharing for Dermal Fillers. There are a number of problems with this – for a start, an incredibly low price point gives the impression that non-surgical aesthetic treatments are on the same level as a hair cut and colour, or a new outfit, when they really shouldn’t be. Every aesthetic treatment, particularly those involving injectable solutions, brings with it an element of risk – a risk that is made higher if the practitioner lacks the physiological knowledge and medical training to deliver a sensitive, personally tailored and safe treatment. The quality of the injectable solutions used in ‘bargain basement’ treatments also concerns me, as I have heard terrifying tales of unsafe and inappropriate solutions being in some injectable procedures from ‘cowboy’ practitioners.
A skilled, experienced, appropriately qualified and insured medical aesthetic practitioner uses top quality products in a clean and safe environment after a detailed pre-treatment consultation with a patient. During the pre-treatment consultation, patients are given comprehensive details of their chosen treatment (including potential minor risks and post-treatment recovery advice) and are given the time to choose whether or not they want to undergo the procedure; Detailed medical history notes are also taken during this consultation to highlight any potential issues that could interfere with the safety or effectiveness of the treatment see here for more information. It’s also worth mentioning that some non-surgical aesthetic treatments are prescription-only medications (POMs) and that you should have a consultation with the medical professional who holds the appropriate prescribing medication (like an Independent Nurse Prescriber) before undergoing any treatment, as they will determine whether it is a safe and appropriate treatment option for you. When it comes to the actual non-surgical aesthetic procedure, responsible aesthetic clinics will only carry out a treatment if they believe that it is safe and appropriate and syringes are never, ever shared as even if the needle is replaced on a syringe between injectable treatments, there is still a risk – an unacceptable risk – of cross contamination between patients.
The worrying surge in unqualified aesthetic ‘clinicians’ is what lead me to ‘Save Face’ – a professional standards authority registered organisation that serves to educate people about safe aesthetic procedures and offers accreditation to medically qualified aesthetic clinics and individual practitioners who meet their strict criteria. In order to become an accredited clinic, Save Face demands that clinics and their medically trained aesthetic practitioners demonstrate the very highest levels of professionalism, training and patient care. I am very proud to be Save Face accredited, and would urge anyone considering a non-surgical aesthetic treatment to visit www.saveface.com to find a Save Face accredited clinic in their area.
Your skin is such an important and precious part of you – make sure it’s taken care of by skilled and experienced professionals. It’s not worth risking your health and safety with bargain basement treatments from unscrupulous clinicians; Give your skin the treatment it deserves and always trust a professional.
Visit the Younger U Aesthetics website for more information.