'Dangerous' filler jabs pushed to women to 'look your best' for Xmas parties
Cosmetic filler injections linked to lifelong health problems are being pushed to women to “look your best” for Christmas parties.
The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons says UK clinics are engaging in “unethical” promotions of the wrinkle-reducing procedures. Some people who have had face fillers report side effects such as headaches, sleep issues and blurred vision.
And recent research shows that fillers may block lymph nodes, which are vital for the immune system to flush out toxins including cancer cells.
A quick Google search revealed at least a dozen UK firms pushing the non-surgical injections with straplines such as “get Christmas party ready”. Some companies removed content after being contacted by the Mirror.
BAAPS president Marc Pacifico said: “It is a real worry that, despite publicising the risks and complications associated with filler injections, these procedures are being promoted in time-pressured and incentivised ways in the run-up to Christmas.
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Photo on M1 Med Beauty webpage“This sort of hard selling approach to a medical procedure is unethical.” Hundreds of thousands of face and lip fillers are done in the UK every year and are linked to other symptoms including cysts, lumps and soreness.
TV shows such as Love Island have helped to normalise the cosmetic “tweakments” among young adults. BAAPS says the UK is the “Wild West” for filler injections as, unlike other nations, there is little regulation of what filler products can be sold here and practitioners do not have to be registered.
The firms most prominent online tend to have medically trained practitioners, but commonly feature time-pressured ads for the festive season.
M1 Med Beauty is offering money off for people having their first treatment. The company’s website says: “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and it’s time to make sure you look your best for all of your upcoming events and parties.”
Enhancing dealsWhile, Melior Clinics says: “When it comes to the office Christmas party it’s our big chance to show our colleagues, and our boss... how fabulous we can look! And wrinkles are most certainly not invited.”
The website of Bristol-based Quinn Clinics promotes “Look Like a Star – Christmas Treatment Packages”. The site said reasons people choose Botox at this time of year include “impressing colleagues (and bosses!) at the Christmas party”. The clinic took down the content after being contacted by the Mirror. Britain’s non-surgical cosmetic industry is worth £3.6billion.
Filler firms pointed out financial incentives were not offered for people to get work done before Christmas. Festive promotional content was often in blogs on company websites.
Melior Clinics’ medical director Dr Tim Beazleigh said: “We welcome and support the comments made by BAAPS and agree that any procedure performed by a non-medical practitioner poses unnecessary risks.
Quinn Clinics in Bristol“We too have been concerned at the rise of unethical treatments, particularly fillers, being performed by non-medical people. Melior Clinics are registered with Save Face and the Care Quality Commission. All our practitioners are doctors registered with the General Medical Council or General Dental Council or nurses registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.”
Quinn Clinics said: “The promotional activity referred to in this article relates to a 2012 blog article, predating current industry guidance. The historical article has now been removed and we have reviewed all other items on our website to ensure they reflect our current policies and industry guidelines. Quinn Clinics is one of the UK’s leading aesthetic clinics, led by one of the industry’s most respected aesthetic doctors. We support the BAAPS statement, and our practice and policies reflect and respect the industry’s guidelines for promoting anti-ageing injectable treatments.
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“Patients at our CQC-registered practice will only receive injectable treatment following an in depth consultation with our expert doctors. And we do not incentivise or discount our injectable treatments on our website or social media channels.”
Renew festive packageThe Mirror also found Renew Aesthetics, in Cheshire, promoting dermal fillers for Christmas.
Renew said: “Renew Aesthetics is a medical clinic run by medical professionals, including experienced NHS nurses registered with the NMC. Injectable treatments are only administered by medical professionals to patients over 18 following a detailed consultation, using products created by leading dermocosmetics brands.
“The clinic is transparent at every stage about what... fillers are best suited to treat, how long effects can last, what the typical treatment protocol consists of, and [costs].
“We always book follow-up appointments. They... allow us to assess results and answer patient questions. We do not incentivise any treatments and remind all patients that a desired outcome is best achieved over multiple appointments, in line with BAAPS safety guidelines.”
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