Are your tweakments really safe?
Each week our experts Dr AAMER KHAN and LESLEY REYNOLDS bring you the latest beauty news and anti-ageing advice
FROM plumping injectables to wrinkle-erasing Botox, tweakments are seen as the perfect lunchtime quick fix. But reports of bad practice and procedures gone wrong have more than doubled since 2018 and guidelines are being flouted daily when it comes to performing cosmetic treatments.
In the UK you can call yourself an aesthetic practitioner and start injecting, whatever your level of training.This has led to a huge rise in the number of untrained people setting themselves up without any insurance, often buying cheap products over the internet with no idea of their safety or efficacy.
Often these treatments are regarded as little more than a manicure, rather than a medical procedure that can have serious complications when administered incorrectly.
Botox has a long and well-established safety record, but in the wrong hands, side effects range from problems swallowing and breathing, to looking lopsided or droopy around the eyes.
Complications from dermal fillers – which are still unregulated – can include blocked blood vessels, nerve damage and even permanent loss of vision.
The ability to immediately deal with any complications, allergic reactions or infections is also severely lacking in those who are not medically trained.
There are many things you need to know before undergoing tweakments. Here’s your ultimate guide on how to stay safe.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Ask where they trained and which organisations they’re a part of. Follow up with those
PUT the spring back into winter-worn skin with Bareminerals Poreless Clay Cleanser, £16.15 (escentual.com). It’s packed with a blend of nutritious prebiotics, nourishing sugar cane and sugar maple, as well as a rich array of exfoliating superfruit to reduce pores and remove excess sebum. Use once or twice a week. organisations to see if they’re telling the truth.You can also see reviews of the clinics online and check credentials with the General Medical Council.
If you are told the procedure is risk free, walk away – every procedure carries a risk.Ask about insurance and what happens if anything goes wrong.
Stop taking aspirin and fish-oil supplements two weeks prior to injectables as they are blood thinners that can increase the likelihood of bruising and swelling.
Wool blanket, £24.99, H&M
Tranquility Reed Diffuser, £38, Neom Organics (neom organics.com)