Cosmetic fillers industry under fire for safety concerns
Interest in dermal fillers has shot up over the past few years – they are gaining in popularity and the celebrity influencers are leading the way. You’d be forgiven some days for thinking that everyone on TV has had their lips done – well, on certain channels anyway. The popularly of dermal fillers is showing no signs of waning, so just what exactly are we embracing here?
Dermal fillers are designed to help smooth, firm or enhance facial features. It consists of collagen or hyaluronic acid solution being injected underneath the skin or into the lips. The industry is massive, reportedly being worth a huge £2.75billion and they are thought to be the most popular non-surgical procedure.
Not only that, despite their popularity amongst the rich and famous, they are also accessible to the average consumer, with treatments ranging from £50 up to £2,000.
The concerning truth about dermal filler safety
Although this all sounds good, there is one major concern with this – the industry is not subject to the regulations that are put in place to ensure that the cosmetic surgery is safe, and consumers are protected. Anyone can administer these injections, which inevitably causes issues with dermal filler safety.
These problems begin where the injections are administered. Reports of unclean environments and non-sterilised equipment coupled with a lack of (or complete absence of) medical training from those who are offering these treatments. The results are equally worrying. Best case is that your features may not end up as you were expecting, worse case is that you could end up with permanent disfigurement, a serious blood condition such as sepsis or rotting tissue.
How to ensure you keep safe if you choose to have dermal fillers
Clearly not every practitioner who offers dermal fillers should be tarred with the same brush. At the other end of the spectrum, many have spent years in medical training, adhere to proper medical guidelines and patient safeguarding, and offer dermal fillers as one of a number of surgical and non-surgical procedures.
Many who have taken their love of dermal fillers too far, or who have relied upon shady practitioners, risk looking back with regrets. This includes celebrities, as TOWIE star Amy Childs explains “a few years ago I was addicted to lip fillers. My parents had to sit me down and say it was too much. When I eventually went to a practitioner to remove them, doctors found that my repeated use had led to a burst blood vessel in my upper lip. Now my lips are unlikely to go back to their natural shape. I wish I’d never had it done in the first place.”
The most important take out you can conclude from this is to always ensure you see an experienced and qualified injector. Look for bona fide qualifications and evidence of a broader portfolio of cosmetic procedures. Also, don’t be inclined to push things to the extreme. Things that are fashionable one day are often forgotten the next, so if you push your body too far with procedures such as these then you may, in time, be left wishing that you hadn’t been quite so enthusiastic.
