Stay safe and choose the right practitioner for you.
Sadly as it stands, the aesthetics industry is unregulated. This means that literally anyone can chose to do a one or two day course and then set up as a ‘fully qualified aesthetics practitioner’. The dangers of this should go without saying, however its becoming more and more concerning as many people look out for the cheapest deals and offers, not knowing that this is the biggest red flag.
Quality products are not cheap and even I find it mind boggling how so many people are offering treatments for less than the cost price of the products. I want to discuss with you the importance of understanding red flags, and my aim is to educate you to help keep you safe and find a practitioner that is right for you.
If you saw some of the horrific treatment outcomes I have seen - which includes clients with serious complications being left with no support or treatment - you would see why I am so passionate about educating and keeping the public safe from incompetent frauds.
RED FLAGS:
Cheap prices - as I mentioned above, quality products are not cheap for a practitioner to buy, so when prices seem really cheap always ask yourself why they are charging so much less than a reputable practitioner.
Reputable practitioners aren’t out to over charge and ‘rip people off’, they charge the recommended retail price for the service and ensure its fair and also reflects their level of training and education.
Under pricing treatments not only raises alarm bells about the products and if they are even FDA approved or licensed for use in the UK, but it also hugely discredits the practitioners level of expertise. I for one respect my education and my medical background, so I charge fairly but I charge my worth as my education and training is what keeps my clients safe.
It costs thousands of pounds to undertake advanced, approved and accredited training, so another red flag would be practitioners charging so little they would be out of pocket, unless they are cutting corners and jeprodisring safety to earn little money.
Licensed products and pharmacies :
Registered medical professionals hold registered pins and this means they are regulated by a governing body. This holds medical professionals accountable for their practice and also ensures practitioners have a duty of care to their clients. Licensed and accredited pharmacies with excellent reputations will only approve medical professionals who have a pin. This allows them to register with the pharmacy and purchase prescription only medications and other stock. This includes: Doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists, dental hygienists, etc.
Sadly there are many non approved / regulated ‘pharmacies’ online and on social media who sell stock at a fraction of the cost and its usually illegally imported from other countries such as Korea. This means none of the products have been approved or tested for approval and use within the UK and ‘practitioners’ who purchase stock from these unethical and unregulated sources, have no idea what is in the products, but will happily use it on their clients to make a bit of profit, with no regard for their safety.
Usually stock is ordered through the ‘black market’ of aesthetics if someone has trained into aesthetics with no medical background, as they cannot register with most accredited pharmacies and do not have a prescriber to prescribe correctly for their clients. The unethical black market can sell botox without the need for a prescription - which is ludicrous and so unsafe!
Not everyone who trains into aesthetics has to be a prescriber, but if they are working safely and correctly they will have a prescriber who will attend a face to face clinic with the practitioners clients and then prescribe for the clients if they are satisfied they meet the medical criteria. If you have been to, or are going to a non prescribing practitioner and you have never had a face to face clinic with a prescriber this is another huge red flag, and if I were you I would question them on this as its actually illegal. Any prescription only medication has to be prescribed and botox is no different.
Staying safe and choosing the right practitioner:
It may feel overwhelming to know who is safe and who is using unlicensed products but it doesn’t have to be. Education is key when it comes to your safety. As the saying goes ‘pay cheap, pay twice’ and a lot of my clients found this out the hard way, when they have come to me to help them resolve poorly injected areas which has needed rectifying.
Look for a medical professional as they are regulated and governed by a governing body and their extensive background means they are equip to deal with emergencies promptly as well as diagnose complications in a timely manner which is essential. Not only this, they are knowledgable about anatomy and how drugs work on the body (pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of a drug) and this is so important when it comes to taking a medical history as some drugs can be contraindicated to treatments.
Medical professionals have a duty of care and they legally can administer prescription only medications.
Always ask for a practitioners qualifications and background as so many people these days can take a course online and have a certificate to say they are trained and qualified in aesthetic treatments such as botox, yet an online course would invalidated any insurance. Many training academies are not regulated to teach and many people who have certificates don’t realise they stand for nothing. Put it this way, you could do a course in aesthetics tomorrow and set yourself up to teach after just a few weeks! The number of ‘training academies’ popping up all over the place is just as concerning as the amount of uneducated people being churned out of them with a certificate to say they can now inject!
Always make sure you see a prescriber, if your practitioner is not a prescriber, make sure for botox clinics you have seen a prescriber face to face prior to your appointment, if this is not offered to you then this is a red flag.
Never be afraid to ask for a consultation first and ask all the questions you have. You should never feel rushed and all risks/ possible side effects of a treatment should always be discussed with you in-depth.
Trust your gut instincts. If something doesn’t feel right then wait and keep looking.
Always read reviews based on professionalism and education surrounding treatments. Be cautious on this one as many people do offer clients money off in exchange for ‘reviews’ - many platforms such as Fresha have only verified client reviews and this is much more trustworthy than google.
Always do your research, word of mouth is powerful but never take someones word for it, check the practitioners background and qualifications and never be afraid to ask for proof of education.
Never rush into a treatment. Book a consultation first and gauge how the practitioner makes you feel.
Do not fall victim to cheap prices.
Trust your instincts.