Men less concerned about safety of injectables

Male clients are less concerned about adhering to safety standards when it comes to non-surgical cosmetic treatments, according to new research. Almost a quarter of men surveyed admitted to having undergone a treatment administered by untrained friends, compared with 10% of female clients.

The research, which was carried out by Transform Cosmetic Surgery, surveyed 2,000 non-surgical cosmetic interventions patients. Alongside the number of patients happy to undergo treatment from an unqualified person, the research found that 1 in 20 respondents would self-administer advanced treatments.

Although 62% believe there is not enough regulation to the industry, and the majority believe that practitioners should be appropriately qualified, a number of patients are undergoing treatments in unsafe environments.

When asked if they would have Botox from a practitioner without the appropriate qualifications, 17% of male respondents said yes, along with 10% of females. Likewise, some 16% of men would have dermal fillers regardless of the practitioner’s skills, and 19% would have a body sculpting treatment.  Women are more cautious, with 11% and 9% saying they would have such treatments.

Patricia Dunion, chief operating officer of Transform, said she was surprised by the figures, commenting, “It seems men are willing to take far more risks with their health when it comes to non-surgical treatments.

“We hope the government’s response to the Keogh review will introduce tough new regulation on the non-surgical treatments industry in order to raise standards, drive the cowboys out of the sector and give better patient protection.”

Dr Hilary Jones, general practitioner and TV doctor who also sits as an independent party on Transform’s regular Clear Panel which discusses ethical standards in the sector, agreed.

 “The non-surgical treatments industry is growing fast and it is vital that as it does so, the health of those undergoing treatments isn’t put at risk,” he said. “There are far too many places in this country where people can be injected with dermal fillers by individuals with minimal or no training in completely unsuitable environments, with potentially dangerous products.”

Transform Cosmetic Surgery commissioned the research prior to the launch of its Clear Charter, developed to demonstrate the clinic chain’s commitment to standards of patient care.