Cosmetic treatments need new regulation report finds

New proposals to regulate cosmetic procedures were widely reported in the papers today, with the Daily Mail reporting the need to "rein in cosmetic surgery cowboys", and The Daily Telegraph warning that anti-wrinkle treatments are "a crisis waiting to happen". The stories are based on an independent review of regulations governing the UK cosmetic industry, which is worth an estimated £3.6 billion. The review was chaired by the NHS medical director, Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, who said anyone having cosmetic procedures should be better protected than at present. People carrying out cosmetic procedures should be trained to a high standard, Professor Keogh said. The review particularly highlights concerns about non-surgical cosmetic procedures, such as: dermal fillers (injections of an acid to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and scars) Botox (injections of a toxin used to smooth the skin) chemical peel (where chemicals are used to remove dead skin) laser hair removal Under current regulations, all of these procedures can legally be performed by anyone, whatever their level of medical training. This is in spite of the fact that, if performed incorrectly, these procedures can result in a range of complications such as burning, scarring, infection and even blindness. The review proposes that much tighter and rigorous regulation is required for these types of non-surgical cosmetic procedures to ensure their safety.   Why was the cosmetic...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medical practice QA articles Source Type: news