Scotland ‘worst in Europe’ for unregulated fillers

Scotland has become the “worst country in Europe” for unqualified hairdressers to perform beauty treatments on customers, a medical expert has warned.

They said there is no law against advertising on social media that you are injecting someone with a cosmetic treatment such as dermal fillers, putting more people in harm’s way.

Jackie Partridge, from the British Association of Aesthetic Nurses, said: “Our colleagues around the world are in shock and cannot believe that someone without a medical qualification is legally allowed to treat members of the public. No,” he said.

“To our colleagues in the rest of the world, the UK is a joke and Scotland is the worst of the UK.”

Currently, tens of thousands of people across Scotland receive dermal filler treatments every year.

Usually injected into the face, it helps fill in wrinkles and increase tissue volume.

But as its popularity has grown, so have its complications, including risk of infection, artery blockage, necrosis, blindness, and stroke.

Trained clinicians such as doctors, nurses and dentists who work in the cosmetics field must register with regulators and be subject to strict oversight, but at present there are no questions about who can inject fillers and what training they have. There are no rules about what you should take.

This is true across the UK, but medical experts say the situation is particularly difficult in Scotland as it does not ban under-18s from receiving such treatments.

The Scottish Government announced in 2022 that it would aim to ensure all cosmetic treatments are carried out by suitably trained professionals, but no further details have been published since then.

Scottish ministers have not given a deadline for further restrictions, but the UK government has said it will publish its response to the licensing consultation this spring.

Ms Partridge, who is also clinical director of a skin clinic in Edinburgh, told BBC Scotland News in an interview that the number of unqualified staff carrying out these procedures had “swelled” in recent years.

He said the rise of social media as an advertising platform has led to an increase in procedures that have “no regard for patient safety or accountability.”

Ms Partridge also said there was a proliferation of “unlicensed, counterfeit and unsafe” products being passed off as botulinum toxin (Botox) in the non-medical sector.

Botox injections are an anti-wrinkle treatment primarily used to relax the muscles in the forehead, between the eyebrows, and around the eyes, and last for three to six months.

Botox is classed as a prescription-only drug in the UK, meaning it can only be prescribed and administered to patients by qualified medical professionals.

But doctors and nurses say hairdressers are finding unlicensed Botox online and injecting it into patients in high-street salons or at home.

They say there’s no way to know what’s actually inside these products, and there are few enforcement actions to stop it.

“We know for a fact that people are going into salons and getting Botox treatments without ever seeing a medical professional,” said Dr Nestor Demosthenas, a spokesperson for the British College of Aesthetic Medicine.

Renata Wojno, from East Kilbride, paid around £600 for what she thought were Botox injections under her eyes from a hairdresser’s ad on Facebook.

The injections were given in an extended facility at her home rather than in a clinical setting, which is now legal.

Renata sought help from a registered clinic after her skin changed color and a lump formed, leaving her with a choice between permanent damage or out-of-pocket surgery costing at least £4,000. I was told it was necessary.

“I lost my confidence,” she told BBC Scotland.

“It’s hard for me to look in the mirror because all I can see is the lump under my eye. And I know when people look at me, all they see is a lump.

“So I have to force myself to undergo surgery and spend money.”

Given the extent of the damage, Renata may need additional surgery in addition to laser treatment to correct the discoloration.

She said she regretted not checking to see if the hairdresser was registered, but assumed he was qualified based on posts on social media.

“I know it’s my fault,” she said.

“I thought this person who had so many treatments advertised must be eligible, but I just didn’t check.”

Frances Turner-Trail, a prescribing nurse and director of the registered clinic that helped Renata, worries that without regulations, patients could die.

“It’s a very bad situation and unfortunately Scotland is the worst in the UK and the UK is the worst in Europe,” she said.

“It’s been 10 years since my colleagues and I sat around the table with the Scottish Government and very little has been done and this is unacceptable because people are being left without any relief. Because I’m giving you an injection.”

Doctors in the field say the current lack of regulation is creating a two-tiered system.

“It is now perfectly legal for a plumber or a hairdresser to inject a 16-year-old girl in the back of a van without recourse,” Dr Demosthenos said.

“If you are not a doctor, you are pretty much free to do what you want, wherever you want. On the other hand, if I start treating patients in a facility that is not registered with the health board, I could be prosecuted. there is.”

He said it is critical that these procedures be performed by trained professionals who have the medical knowledge about safe injections, how to treat complications, and advise patients when treatment is not necessary. Stated.

In a statement to BBC Scotland News, Scotland’s medical watchdog is now calling for regulations to ensure only trained clinicians can carry out these procedures.

A spokesperson for Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) said: ‘The best way to keep the public safe is to ensure that cosmetic treatments are provided by appropriately trained and qualified healthcare professionals and regulated healthcare providers. I think that’s the case,” he said.

“You should always check whether the clinic is registered with HIS before receiving treatment.”

Save Face, a UK government-approved registered aesthetic treatment company, said social media had become a “catalyst” for people falling into dangerous hands.

“It’s really unfortunate what happened in Scotland,” director Ashton Collins said.

In 2021, it will be illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to receive fillers or Botox in England. Save Face assumed Scotland would enforce it.

“We keep asking for updates, but so far they don’t have an agenda to do that. And what has happened is because of the lack of action in Scotland.” , we’re seeing people heading to Scotland from places like Newcastle. Under-18s can receive treatment with no questions asked.

“Consistently, every year, almost 90% of people who report to us find their practitioners on social media, and these people are getting younger and younger each year.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “To ensure that all non-surgical cosmetic procedures carried out in Scotland are provided by suitably trained practitioners, from hygienic premises, apply accepted standards and use regulated We continue to focus on working with stakeholders on the development of future regulations for our products. “

Public Health Minister Jenny Minto added that there is no deadline for changes to the law targeting the beauty industry.

“I think it’s important to have the right evidence to make sure we enact the right legislation,” she said.

Asked whether the law would prohibit non-medical professionals from performing such procedures, Minto said: “I don’t want to preempt anything.”

“I think it’s fair to say we look at training, we look at facilities as well and we look at age. But nothing is off the table.”

She added: “Of course, in Scotland we give voting rights to 16-year-olds, so we’re very careful when it comes to age. I think it’s important to consider the different characteristics of different age groups.” Ta.