Over the past few years the popularity of injectable beauty treatments has increased, with many people emulating celebrities which use Botox and fillers on a regular basis. However, leading plastic surgeons have criticised the lax regulations concerning who is allowed to perform injectable procedures, with one review claiming that they are the “next crisis waiting to happen.” Fillers are often used to ‘plump up’ the face or reduce the appearance of wrinkles, and they can be administered in a short amount of time.

However, president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps), Mr Rajiv Grover, said that he believes there should be stricter regulations concerning the administration of injectbales. He said: “There is very little regulation about fillers, many of which we know are being used and can cause harm. Given that, knowing they can be harmful, I think it’s shameful that nothing is being done. I like to hope something will improve. There have been reviews before and none of the recommendations were taken up. Watch this space but don’t hold your breath.”

Deborah Mason from the British Association of Dermatologists also wants stricter regulations to be introduced, and said: “When things go wrong with dermal fillers, clients do not return to their beauty therapist but seek help from dermatologists. This may give the false impression that these procedures are safe to those not medically skilled to deal with or understand the risks. We would like to see specific training in these procedures for both medical and non-medical practitioners.

“This would by no means be a one day course but a proper training that would lead to a real understanding of both safe practice and product safety.” Most beauticians and salon owners already have a number of qualifications in order to provide certain treatments to their clients, so many are confused as to why this is not the case with fillers, especially as they can be so dangerous if used incorrectly.

There are those that are against bringing in stricter regulations however, such as Jim McGrath from Doncaster who currently teaches people how to administer fillers. He said: “The fillers themselves are very safe. You’re not injecting into the face, you’re going just beneath the skin to correct a line or a fold. It’s not rocket science. If you can drive a car, you can easily do this. There is very little chance of a reaction. It’s all dependant on how it’s implanted. The fillers will be injected very well by all of my students because they’re copying me.”

Even though fillers are relatively ‘easy’ to administer, there are also concerns over the health and safety of patients, especially as there is a risk of infection from unclean needles. Liz Bardolph from the British Association of Cosmetic Nurses warns: “The public must understand that the delivery of cosmetic injectables is medical and while home treatment may be convenient for the patient, the environment may fall short of what is desirable or safe.”

In April, the Department of Health in England released a review into injectables and recommended registering everyone who performs the procedures as well as making it mandatory for each person to be covered by salon or beauty insurance. Sir Bruce Keogh, the NHS medical director for England who led the review, said: “The most striking thing is that anybody, anywhere, anytime can give a filler to anybody else, and that is bizarre.”

According to the Department of Health the government has responded positively to the review, with a spokesman saying: “The government agrees with the principles of Sir Bruce Keogh’s recommendations, and we are considering the report carefully and will put our detailed response to parliament shortly.” This means it is very likely that injectbales, along with other forms of cosmetic surgery procedures, will soon be more closely regulated.

Beauticians that currently offer their clients dermal fillers or Botox should look into enrolling in a professional training course in the near future otherwise they could lose their licence or invalidate their insurance. Gaining official qualifications will also mean that you will be able to safely administer fillers to your clients and be sure that they will never have any issues from the procedure.