Leading cosmetic surgeon urges the Scottish Government to regulate filler treatment
A leading cosmetic surgeon has called for the Scottish Government to clamp down on aesthetic treatments, including fillers.
Dr Nestor Demosthenous has written to the Scottish health secretary, Jeane Freeman, to encourage the government to introduce regulations to protect patients. At present, the industry is not regulated, and lip fillers can be provided by individuals with no medical or dental training or expertise.
Dr Demosthenous, from Dr Nestor’s Medical Cosmetic Centre in Edinburgh, said that there has been a significant increase in the number of patients seeking corrective treatment following botched procedures carried out by amateurs with no formal training.
In a letter to the health secretary, Dr Demosthenous outlined the risk of undergoing treatment administered by non-medical professionals, and said that he now receives calls from women who have had treatment that hasn’t gone to plan at least once a week. According to the Edinburgh surgeon, young, impressionable women are most vulnerable, and consumers are being lured in by low prices and sales patter. Without formal regulation, Dr Demosthenous said it was like the “Wild West” out there and urged ministers to take action to ensure that individuals who do want to have treatment are in safe hands.
Dr Demosthenous, along with many other professionals and medical bodies, has been calling for changes to be made for several years, but insists that urgent action should now be taken to prevent a “public health disaster.”
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