The anti-wrinkle injection industry in the UK has come under fire from public health experts. Dermal fillers or Botox are used in 90% of all injected cosmetic surgery procedures in the UK but medical chiefs are concerned that the industry is unregulated, potentially putting lives at risk.
A review of cosmetic procedures in the UK has revealed that there are more than 190 different “fillers” available across the EU. That is in sharp contrast to the United States where there are just 14 available for use in an industry that is strictly regulated by federal authorities.
Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, the NHS medical director, chaired the independent review, which recommended that fillers should become prescription only in the UK immediately. Sir Bruce wants tighter controls on the use of substances such as Botox, which is supposed to be prescription only but can be purchased online.
The review revealed that fillers, which are injected beneath the skin to remove wrinkles and to plump up the skin, are completely unregulated in the UK with the injections often being administered by people with only the most basic of training.
Dermal fillers have become an incredibly common and affordable method of non-surgical cosmetic surgery, popularised by reality television shows where participants are regularly shown having fillers.
The review wants all non-medical practitioners who administer dermal fillers to undergo formal training and be part of a general register once qualified.
The Sir Bruce-led review was ordered after the revelations of the PIP scandal when breast implants made of low-grade silicone were found to have been used in breast enhancement surgery, contrary to EU regulations.
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