Cosmetic Cowboys

Aesthetic medicine is well known to be a controversial sector as treatments generally target appearance and self esteem, often influencing vulnerable individuals. The popular injectable procedures come with potential risks, often taken very lightly or dismissed altogether. Perhaps this is due to fashionable trends as Botox and fillers appear commonplace in the media.

With widely available internet access it is possible to research recommended clinics, practitioners and read the reviews of those who have tried and tested. Why and how is it possible for cosmetic cowboys to still perform these procedures?

Recent statistics showed that 13 percent of people opting for cosmetic procedures such as dermal fillers and chemical peels had their treatments performed by untrained individuals, without any medical supervision. 1 in 8, from a poll of 2000, had wrinkle relaxing injections carried out by an acquaintance, friend or family. These individuals performing the procedures are intentionally or unintentionally emulating the reckless attitude of cowboys by taking needless risks.

There are obvious and tedious perils that accompany this inadvisable trend which poses serious risks to the person being ‘experimented’ upon. A government inquiry spearheaded by Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, Britain’s most senior doctor could hopefully pave the way to more stringent regulation of the cosmetic industry which yields around 2 billion pounds per annum. According to Sir Bruce Keogh, a person having non-surgical cosmetic intervention had “no more protection and redress than someone buying a ball-point pen or a toothbrush.” Sir Bruce Keogh is of the opinion that the government should intervene and ensure that such treatments should be administered only by highly trained doctors, dermatologists and nurse prescribers and in premises which fulfill pre-defined and approved standards. The marketing of such products and their readily available over the counter status should also be revoked making them prescription only.

If the government heeds Sir Keogh’s words and introduces laws based on the guidelines provided by him it would “drive the cosmetic cowboys out of this sector and provide better patient protection” declared Patricia Dunion, Chief Operating Officer of the company Transform Cosmetic Surgery Group. Her company was responsible for provision of the statistics that support Sir Keogh’s earlier warning last year for tougher regulation of the aesthetic industry. It is hoped that these modern day cosmetic cowboys will be “nipped in the bud” by the approval of a well-structured and all-encompassing law by the government.