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Quality Assurance Mark Guarantees Quality

Patients of injectable cosmetic treatments, such as wrinkle fillers and Botox, can finally rest easy. Up until now, cosmetic treatment facilities have been unregulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and patients risked securing care from providers offering less-than-quality services. But a new provider registration and quality assurance mark offered by the Independent Healthcare Advisors Services (IHAS) and backed by the Government guarantees quality care from cosmetic treatment providers.

The IHAS Registration mark separates quality cosmetic treatment providers from the unqualified practitioners, offering a safeguard to patients seeking cosmetic services. Organisations and practitioners offering injectable cosmetic treatments must register through IHAS in order to legally display the IHAS Register of Injectable Cosmetic Providers mark. Registration requirements include completing self assessment forms and submitting supporting evidence, permitting random site visit inspections with only 24 hours’ notice, and paying a registration scheme fee to support the IHAS quality cosmetic treatment initiative. The providers must prove, through assessments, inspections, and supporting documentation, that they comply with good practice standards for the cosmetic treatment industry.

The industry led initiative is fully supported by Health Minister Mike O’Brien, who stated that the registration will “…help protect the public from unscrupulous operators. It will clearly mark those who uphold the highest standards the industry can provide.” The Minister has Government offered funding to support the regulation of cosmetic treatment providers in the United Kingdom.

Large cosmetic treatment providers in the industry have already offered their commitment to supporting the quality initiative. The Harley Medical Group, Transform, and Sk:n, who together own more than eighty clinics, plan to register all of their facilities. The initiative is also highly supported by suppliers to the cosmetic treatment industry, such as Q-MED UK Ltd, the manufacturer of Restylane dermal fillers, and Dental Protection, which offers professional support and advice to a majority of dentists in the United Kingdom. The British Association of Cosmetic Doctors also announced its support of the industry regulation.

Patients seeking quality care can search the Independent Healthcare Advisors Services registration for registered cosmetic treatment providers, or simply look for the “IHAS Register of Injectable Cosmetic Providers Quality Assurance Mark” at any provider of choice. Doctors, registered adult nurses, and dentists will be registered during the first year of implementation. If the launch is successful, IHAS will consider adding standards for dental hygienists, therapists, physiotherapists, and others during a second rollout of registration year two of implementation.

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Botox – Brain connection

Botox, an incredibly popular drug sold by Allergan Inc., is used primarily in cosmetic procedures designed to reduce facial wrinkles and is derived from the deadly botulinum neurotoxin produced by the bacteria clostridium botulinum. A different version of botulinum neurotoxin, known as Myobloc, is used in medical procedures designed to reduce muscle stiffness and spasms in people with cerebral palsy. People who are exposed to this toxin through having infected wounds or eating contaminated food develop botulism. Botulism is a paralytic illness that can paralyze the respiratory system and result in death if not treated.

New studies have shown that Botox doesn’t just reduce wrinkles. According to a recent study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, Botox that is injected into a person’s face can move into the brain and damage the central nervous system. When Botox was first introduced to the cosmetic market, there were no warning labels or particularly nasty proven side effects. However, the FDA mandated that warning labels be added to Botox and Myobloc after people began reporting trouble breathing and swallowing after using the drugs. The FDA has mainly directed these warnings to people with neuromuscular problems, but also admits that other people may be at risk as well. Due to these concerns, the FDA has begun investigating Botox its potentially dangerous side effects.

In the Journal of Neuroscience article, researchers experimented on rats with Botox to observe its effects on the brain. The researchers found that when they injected botulinum toxin into one side of a rat’s brain, the toxin would make its way over to the other side of the brain. When they injected a part of the brain responsible for vision, the toxin made its way into the rat’s eyes. The effects of the toxin were long lasting – researchers still detected the effects up to six months later. The results of this study support concerns about the dangers of injecting Botox into a person’s face. Although Botox is one of the best selling cosmetic procedures today, maybe clients should reconsider getting Botox treatments before more information and research can be obtained on the dangers of this potentially damaging paralytic agent.

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Botox Clinics

For the first time ever, an attempt has been made to monitor and control places that provide Botox treatments and “filler” injections. With 5,000 clinics performing approximately 200,000 Botox treatments for wrinkles and filler treatments designed to plump lips and sagging skin each year in the United Kingdom, the industry is in dire need of regulation. Although there are plenty of legitimate practitioners working in the industry, there are also far too many rogue practitioners administering treatments they are not qualified to give. To combat this, only doctors, dentists and nurses will be invited to participate in this attempt at regulation, along with organizations that provide Botox and filler injections. Once accepted, these practitioners will receive certificates of approval proving the quality and safety of their service.

The main problem with this proposed system is that it is voluntary. The charity Action Against Medical Accidents declared that if the Government does not make this system statutory, many people will be left at risk because an industry cannot be trusted to regulate itself properly – especially an industry that is as large and prosperous as the cosmetic industry. The Government requires any major cosmetic surgery to be regulated, but as Botox and filler injections are relatively minor non-surgical procedures, they can be offered by just about any business. Peter Walsh, the chief executive of Action Against Medical Accidents declares that his charity will continue “using our experience and influence to make this scheme as robust as it can be.”

One of the best reasons to create a regulated cosmetic industry is to help reduce the amount of botched cosmetic procedures. The most high profile examples of cosmetic treatments gone wrong are usually celebrities. For example, in 2003, Leslie Ash, the star of the television show Men Behaving Badly, had filler injections on her lips. The procedure went wrong, resulting in a look known as the “trout pout.” It is hard to determine exactly how many people have suffered from cosmetic treatments gone wrong or adverse side effects since many people are extremely embarrassed as to what has happened to them and would prefer to keep it quiet rather than raise a national ruckus. Also, without strict guidelines, many practitioners may turn to shady and dangerous treatments. For instance, in 2005, two government reports were published detailing how several practitioners supplying filler injections were using material from both animal and human corpses – material that could have been infected with hepatitis and other deadly diseases.

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Why People Love Facial Dermal Fillers

Soft tissue augmentation for aesthetic purposes has been around for over a hundred years. We can trace this field of medicine back to a German plastic surgeon who published a paper about adipose grafts that are transplanted to fix soft tissue defects on the face. This shows that fat grafts are the oldest known facial dermal fillers used in the plastic surgery field. Of course, the past 100 years have been spent improving techniques and finding better materials and devices to use to help patients cosmetically improve the appearance of soft tissue deficiencies. Facial dermal fillers are now one of the most popular ways people use to create a more aesthetically pleasing improvement to their face with the least invasive procedure possible.

Unfortunately, smoking, sunlight, aging and gravity take a toll on the elastic collagen of the face, causing wrinkles to appear. Aging-related changes include downturned corners of the mouth and atrophy of the lower and upper lips. Plastic surgery makes it possible to rejuvenate these areas with minor improvements. Facial dermal fillers are used to rebuild and refresh the areas near the mouth, helping the patient regain a more youthful appearance. Dermal fillers can also treat aging near the naso-labial folds of the face, a common and early sign of facial aging.

So why do people love facial dermal fillers to such a degree? One reason is the popularity of Botox, which has been shown to have amazing anti-aging on upper facial areas. With Botox injections, the anti-aging effects on the upper face have also created a need for better procedures to address the lower area of the face. Novel filler technology has also increased facial dermal fillers’ popularity with the general public. When Botox is used for the upper face together with dermal fillers on the lower face, an unbelievable age-reversing result is achieved that offers a rejuvenated appearance with minimally invasive procedures.

Today, many people will agree that a face should have prominence and depressions that are symmetrical. This belief is yet another reason people seem drawn to the field of soft tissue augmentation, particularly facial dermal fillers. Lip enhancement is now one of the most popular procedures and draws both the young and old. Because of the minimally invasive nature of these procedures, paired with their ability to deliver unmatched results, it’s no wonder people are eager to use facial dermal fillers to improve their appearance.

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The Pros and Cons of the Cosmetic Treatment Craze

Cosmetic treatment technologies continue to evolve, making beauty easier and cheaper for women to attain. This is good news for women seeking to appear younger, particularly because research has shown a correlation between attractiveness and career success. And since today’s non invasive treatments are less costly and require less recovery time than surgical procedures, more and more women are climbing on the cosmetic treatment bandwagon. But these newer treatments are temporary compared to traditional cosmetic surgery, requiring recurring visits to cosmetic treatment providers, and costs and time invested can add up. Also, experts worry that the growing fad may have societal repercussions in which younger and younger women are turning to cosmetic treatments in order to feel acceptable. And finally, little studies have been conducted to determine the long-term effects of non invasive treatments.

It’s true that cosmetic treatments are getting easier. Where cow-sourced collagen formerly required skin testing, human collagen and Botox now require no skin test. The treatments are quick and easy, with virtually no recovery time. When compared with traditional cosmetic surgery, fillers and injections are much more affordable, costing hundreds of dollars instead of thousands of dollars. But since these treatments are not permanent, women must routinely have the treatments repeated. And experts say that the non invasive treatments are simply postponing the traditional plastic surgeries, such as eyebrow lifts and face lifts. In the end, women may pay more than if they had opted for the traditional surgery in the first place. Also, traditional surgery has a longer history, so side-effects and long-term effects are well known by doctors.

But many argue against the growing fad altogether. Younger women are undergoing non invasive cosmetic treatments than ever before. Books such as “Bodylove: Learning to Like Our Looks and Ourselves, A Practical Guide for Women” by Rita Freedman and “Midlife Crisis at 30: How the Stakes Have Changed for a New Generation – And What to Do About It” by Lia Macko and Kerry Rubin address the negative repercussions that this fad has on society. Women see celebrities and even their peers undergoing treatments, and they feel like they don’t measure up. Indeed, studies have shown a correlation between career success and attractiveness, so it may be that the trend is already irreversible. Cosmetic enhancements may be no different than any other technology taking over the globe. Once we go there, it’s hard to turn back.

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Botox Treatments

One of the most popular cosmetic procedures on the market is Botox, with millions of procedures being performed every year worldwide. Although an enormous amount of people have heard of Botox, very few actually are aware of what it truly is and other associated details. If you are thinking of getting a Botox treatment, it is in your best interests to know exactly what you are being treated with, how it works and all the information surrounding it.

Many people are unaware that Botox is derived from botulinum toxin, a protein manufactured by a form of bacteria. If a person ingests or is exposed to botulinum toxin, they may develop a serious paralytic illness known as botulism. However, when botulinum toxin is isolated, purified or used in small quantities, it becomes a useful cosmetic and medical aid. Botox is the trade name for such botulinum toxin.

As a paralytic agent, Botox is mainly used to get rid of facial wrinkles. A licensed Botox provider injects Botox into a patient’s face, where it eliminates wrinkles by paralyzing facial muscles. The effects of Botox last for around 3-4 months, after which it wears off and a Botox provider must readminister the treatment. Botox can be used on nearly any adult. Exceptions include pregnant women, nursing women or people with neurological disorders.

As with many cosmetic procedures, there are some side effects to Botox. The most common side effect is temporary bruising and headaches that resolve after 24-48 hours. Some patients experience eyelid drooping as well. The most common complain associated with Botox is that the client’s facial expression appears to be fixed in a position of shock or confusion, or in a frown. Also, there is the risk of an allergic reaction, although one should note that there have been no allergies reported as of yet due to Botox.

Botox is not a cosmetic procedure to be taken lightly. It is a treatment that needs to be carefully considered before undertaken. Just because you can be in and out of an office in twenty minutes does not mean the procedure cannot result in complications or that it is completely safe. Whenever undertaking any sort of treatment that messes with a person’s body, said person should take special care to do plenty of research and questioning before undertaking the procedure. Better safe than sorry!

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