An 'alarming' rise in reports of botched cosmetic procedures in the UK has prompted doctors and campaigners to call for better legislation to protect against rogue practitioners. The number of problems related to treatments such as lip fillers and Botox has almost trebled, jumping from 378 in 2016 to 931 in the space of 12 months, according to data from Save Face, a government-approved register of accredited practitioners.
Experts have put the dramatic growth down to a rise in the number of celebrities, including US reality TV star Kylie Jenner, openly discussing their procedures. This has resulted in a rise in demand, they say, leading to unqualified practitioners offering basement deals online. Data shows 83% of procedures were administered by non-medics.
'In the last year we have received an alarming increase in reports of procedures gone wrong and rogue practitioners,' said Ashton Collins, the director of Save Face. 'Reality stars get free treatments if they promote them all the time on social media. It plants the seed and people like Kylie Jenner and Kardashians are constantly in the media for having treatment, so as popularity for cosmetic procedures rises, sadly, as does the number of unscrupulous people who want to make money out of it,' she said.
The highest number of complaints were about dermal fillers, with the vast majority linked to lip procedures. The most common problems included people complaining of uneven results, unsightly lumps and nodules, unusually painful swelling and infection. One of the biggest risks with injections that go wrong is that a patient could develop necrosis, a form of cell injury that results in the premature death of cells. This can lead to permanent scarring.
Figures show 72% of all complaints last year were from patients who had found the practitioner on social media. The Guardian was able to access several Facebook pages offering cheap lip fillers for between £100 and £140. Save Face said it had hundreds of reports from accredited members who had treated patients who suffered from serious complications after treatment.
Doctors and campaigners called for more action to make sure rogue operators were not allowed to practice. There is no regulation around dermal fillers, and they can be administered without medical training and practitioners can buy the products online. Simon Eccles, consultant plastic surgeon and Secretary of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS), agreed there should be more education for those putting in fillers, as well as the public. He noted a rise in the number of patients coming to him after procedures went wrong.
