Healthcare professionals have warned that Scotland’s unregulated beauty industry has made the country the “worst in Europe” for risky cosmetic fillers. Despite growing numbers of people suffering due to unqualified beauticians advertising on social media to offer dermal fillers and other treatments, there is little legislation to prevent them. The British Association of Cosmetic Nurses’ Jackie Partridge said that colleagues worldwide were shocked that non-medically qualified persons could treat the public legally. Few regulations exist to govern who can carry out filler injections across the UK, but Scotland’s situation is particularly dangerous, since there are no bans on treating under 18s.
Tens of thousands of people a year in Scotland now have dermal filler treatment. The procedure, used to fill wrinkles and add volume to facial tissue by injection, comes with various hazards, including the risk of stroke, blindness, infection, necrosis, and blocked arteries. While trained clinicians, such as dentists, registered nurses, and doctors, working within the cosmetics specialization must be overseen and regulated, there are no rules determining whether those who perform filler injections should have had training, medical authorization, or even restrictions on the premises in which they administer treatments.
Speaking to the BBC, Dermal Clinic’s Clinical Director, Jackie Partridge warned that the number of unqualified personnel carrying out these procedures had “ballooned” in recent years. The rise of social media as an advertising platform has resulted in many new procedures, with often no consideration for patient safety or accountability. Partridge also noted that there had been a surge in “unlicensed, counterfeit and unsafe” products being passed off as Botox in the non-medical sector, making cosmetic treatments even more unsafe and prone to side effects and complications.
In conclusion, Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) called for regulations that ensure only qualified healthcare professionals undertake these procedures, while Scotland’s healthcare watchdog, called for rules to ensure patients undergoing cosmetic treatments are carried out by appropriately trained staff from licensed providers. The Scottish Government aims to ensure that all non-surgical cosmetic procedures carried out in Scotland are delivered from regulated premises by properly trained practitioners that use recognized standards and regulated products. However, the government has not yet published any details or a timeline for further regulation within the sector
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