10 reasons why you should only ever use medically qualified professionals to carry our cosmetic injections

Qualified medical professionals such as doctors, nurses, midwifes and dentists are governed by regulatory bodies that set high standards of practice that must be followed. If these standards are breached in any way the practitioner will be stopped from practicing. Beauticians and non-medically qualified therapists are not governed by any regulatory body meaning they do not have to meet any standards.

There are some training providers who will train beauty therapists and non-medically qualified therapists in injectable techniques, but these short courses are not highly rated and unlikely to be accepted by insurers.

Indemnity insurance is a vital requirement for aesthetic practitioners. However, the reputable aesthetic insurers will not cover beauticians and non-medically qualified practitioners for injectable treatments including dermal fillers, lip fillers and botulinum toxin injections.

To maintain high standards of safety, reputable UK suppliers of dermal fillers and botulinum toxin have strict guidelines of who they supply to. Supplying only to qualified practitioners who have provided evidence of their training and insurance. It is possible to purchase dermal fillers and botulinum toxin on the internet from overseas however this is highly dangerous practice, as these are usually cheap/unknown filler brands from unreputable sources.

Treating clients with cosmetic injections such as dermal fillers, lip fillers and botulinum toxin comes with risks. For example, injecting dermal filler into a blood vessel or an artery within the face or lips can block the vessel, and if this is not recognised and treated quickly by the practitioner can lead to irreversible necrosis (death of skin) to that area of the face or lip, which can require surgical intervention to cut out or even a skin graft to correct. Blocking certain blood vessels in the face with dermal filler can also cause blindness. There is also the risk of patients suffering from allergic reactions to the injected solutions and needing medical treatment.

Although the risk of these complications occurring is very minimal, a trained medical professional has the knowledge and skills to act upon symptoms quickly and correctly, where as a non-medically trained therapist or beautician does not.

Qualified medical professionals know the anatomy of the body in much more detail which is vital when injecting into the face, as it is made up of many blood vessels, arteries and muscles.

Injectable procedures can be complex, so medical training and competence is vital in not only carrying out the procedure but also dealing with any complications.

The Department of Health states for high quality care all those performing cosmetic interventions must be medically registered.

Reputable clinics will only employ medical professionals for cosmetic treatments, so it is important you do your homework before choosing your aesthetic practitioner!