Do you know what you're being injected with?
Botox is a beauty treatment that should always be researched and always carried out by a professional, but is this really the case?
Transform Cosmetic Surgery, has revealed an alarming 15% rise in the number of patients seeking help following ineffective line smoothing treatments with non-registered ‘faux-tox’ salons.
Additionally, national research carried out by Transform also revealed that a shocking 84% of youth-seekers admitted to having absolutely no idea what was being injected into their faces when under-going the popular procedure, or even if the injection given actually contained the Botulinum toxin.
Over half of those asked claimed to be aware that there are several brands of wrinkle smoothing toxin treatments, but over three quarters had no idea which one they had been injected with.
More worryingly, patients are not being treated in a clinical environment, despite being given a prescription-only medicine. Nearly a third of respondents have had a treatment at a local beauty salon, 10% have happily had one at home or a friend’s home, and 3% have been treated at a ‘beauty treatment party’, and startlingly, had no idea if they were appropriately trained to perform the procedure.
Patricia Dunion, Managing Director at Transform commented: “It’s alarming to see the number of Brits being treated by unqualified practitioners and in less than sterile environments. As part of our CLEAR Patient Charter and in support of current reviews into the regulation of cosmetic surgery, Transform is keen to raise awareness of misconceptions around line and wrinkle treatments.
“The findings, whilst alarming, unfortunately do not come as a surprise to us. We have long suspected a lack of understanding and knowledge; perhaps exacerbated by less than forthcoming information from some practitioners.
“We hope that in highlighting this, consumers who wish to undergo non-surgical treatment for lines and wrinkles will ask better questions of their practitioner, and themselves if they are seeing a great “deal”, or a lower than usual price. At Transform, treatments are always conducted in a clinical environment, and more importantly by fully trained clinical staff.”
The non-surgical treatments industry, which encompasses treatments such as Botox and dermal fillers, is currently worth more than £1.7 billion and Transform is concerned about the increase in patients undergoing treatment in less than sterile environments, delivered by unqualified practitioners. In fact, almost two-thirds of those surveyed do not think that the industry is regulated or that enough is being done to protect the person receiving treatment – with a third having felt nervous or frightened before, during and after the procedure they underwent.
Dr Hilary Jones, an independent member of Transform’s Clear Panel said: “Informed consent is vital for any medical procedure and cosmetic interventions such as anti-wrinkle injections are no exception. It is essential that each patient understands exactly which product is being injected into their body and whether the brand of Botulinum toxin used meets stringent standards of quality efficacy and above all safety, and has an enduring and proven track record. If someone is offered Botox specifically for example, that is exactly what they should be given and nothing else.”
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