06-08-2007
British women in danger from unregulated anti-wrinkle treatments
The UK is allowing women to undergo skin treatments that may not have been properly approved, according to a dermatologist.
According to consumer group Which?, 400,000 people undergo this type of non-surgical cosmetic procedure in the UK every year. Most assume that the clinics wouldn’t be able to administer treatments if they hadn’t been approved, however there is no strict regulating system in the UK yet.
Some treatments available in the UK are not approved in countries like the USA, which has only seven available. This is compared with around 65 different skin fillers in Europe.
Dr Nick Lowe, a consultant dermatologist, with clinics in Britain and the USA, said: “Fillers are released in Europe without sufficient scrutiny, information and education on the best way to deliver them.”
In Britain, the job of policing fillers is a grey area because it is not clear whether these techniques should be considered beauty treatments or medical procedures. The task has officially been handed to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. However, a spokesman admitted: "The regulatory status of dermal fillers is currently undetermined."
The agency has suggested the European Commission is responsible and has produced a working paper which member states, including Britain, are currently discussing. The drawn-out process means there is unlikely to be any meaningful policing regime in Britain and the rest of Europe for several years.
The problem has been highlighted by the controversy around the dermal filler Isolagen, which was launched in the UK four years ago amid a marketing blitz featuring Dynasty actress Emma Samms.
The treatment, described as a non-surgical facelift, was offered in clinics across the country. The technique, which cost up to £4,500, involved injecting collagen cells grown from patients' skin into their wrinkle lines.
However, hundreds of women are considering legal action because they say it did not work. The company shut its UK operations in March this year.
If you use beauty treatments and give advice on cosmetic treatments and products as part of your job, you should ensure you have adequate Professional Indemnity Insurance to protect you from claims for compensation.