People need to be aware of life-altering risks if they self-inject dermal fillers
Warning by specialist facial surgeons
24 April 2019 (Last updated: 24 Apr 2019 13:12)
PRESS RELEASE
The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (BAOMS) has warned people thinking about self-injecting dermal fillers that they need to understand the significant, and potentially life-altering risks they face such as blindness and infection as revealed in the recent BBC2 Victoria Derbyshire Show.
Caroline Mills, BAOMS Lead on Facial Aesthetic/Cosmetic Surgery and Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital, said the possible complications from self-injection are significant and potentially life changing side-effects such as blindness, chronic ongoing infection, and deformity. People using the internet to buy dermal fillers and then self-injecting, are often not aware of the complex facial anatomy and the need for vigilance while carrying out the procedures to reduce these risks.
“This is why as oral and maxillofacial surgeons we are calling for regulation in the UK of medical professionals who inject dermal fillers in line with European Union (EU) rules. In the EU you have to have a medical licence to inject fillers, but apart from the Welsh Government no one in the UK government is saying we need similar regulation.”
BAOMS has concerns about the scope of training, health and hygiene issues such as infection control in the high street beauty salon industry. Unfortunately, serious medical complications can result from these procedures such as vascular occlusion, possibly leading to blindness, or severe allergic reactions both of which require emergency medical treatment. It’s recognising and managing these problems that is so important and where patient safety may be compromised.
There is also an increasing cost impact to the NHS to treat high street non-surgical procedures that have complications, and at this time the full scale of the long-term problems remains unknown due to lack of suitable coding within the system.
“People must fully understand the risks they are taking and consult a fully trained medical practitioner. This is why we need regulation in the UK to protect patients properly,” Caroline Mills said.
For further information and interviews contact: Siân Evans on 020 8674 8921 / 07752 414433 or BAOMS on 020 7405 8074
Notes to editors
The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (BAOMS) promotes the advancement of education, research and the development of oral and maxillofacial Surgery in Great Britain, and encourages and assists postgraduate education, study and research.
BBC2 Victoria Derbyshire Show April 23 2019
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