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Recently in the press, the issue of Botox and Filler training and who can be trained has come to light. Due to legislation only medically trained professionals are able to teach but also learn how to inject Botox and fillers.
At Cosmetic Courses we only offer our training to medical professionals – our delegates being a mixture of Doctors, Dentists and Nurses. Our delegates have to be medically qualified and registered with one of the following: General Medical Council, General Dental Council or Nursing and Midwifery Council. This ensures that our delegates are fully licensed to practise within the UK.
In one case an untrained man has been caught teaching Botox and Fillers to beauty therapists, who cannot legally participate in these courses as they lack the required medical qualifications. The man training the beauty therapists was sentenced to time in prison due to the severity of his actions.
This is unfortunate for those trained by him, as they naturally believed the certificate he provided was authentic and allowed them to practise. However, as any respected non-surgical training provider will know, beauty therapists are not allowed to perform Botox and Dermal Filler treatments.
Therefore it is essential that at Cosmetic Courses we offer our training to the correct delegates. We are CPD certificated as well as having a working partnership with Hamilton Fraser, our insurance company, to ensure this.
Through training with Cosmetic Courses you get the security that our highly trained professional team are there for continued support, from helping you when you start your new career choice to the finer details that may occur throughout your career.
Furthermore, all our trainers are experienced and registered with the relevant medical governing bodies, so they are fully qualified to teach and perform Botox and Filler treatment in line with the regulations and legislations currently in place in the UK.
We’ve collated the results of the feedback for our latest training course – and the results are very encouraging.
On Saturday 7th July, we ran another successful Foundation course in Botulinum Toxin and Dermal Fillers.
Though the course was fairly small, the feedback we received showed that satisfaction levels are going from strength to strength.
In fact, it was among the best feedback we have received since we began. We’re very proud to share the results with you here.
The Verdict
Here’s how our delegates rated us:
- 100% would recommend the course and return for further training
- 100% thought the speakers communicated effectively
- 100% thought the venue was suitable for the training
- 100% thought the demonstrations were well presented and informative
- 100% thought the hands-on experience was valuable
- 98% thought there was sufficient time for discussion
A fantastic set of feedback, and we hope that many of our Foundation course delegates choose to continue their study with Cosmetic Courses – either by moving up to the next level on our Intermediate and Advanced courses, or broadening their expertise into other areas like Dermaroller and Skin Peels.
If you would like to attend our next Foundation Botulinum Toxin and Dermal Fillers course, it will be held on Saturday 11th August. Click here to book your place. Alternatively, we are always happy to arrange bespoke one-to-one training sessions at a time that’s convenient for you. Contact us for more information on 0845 230 4110 or email [email protected].
In a secret recording by the BBC at a Harley Street skin clinic, the clinic’s director was filmed describing how prescriptions for Botulinum Toxin could be obtained in the names of friends and family. The drug would then be stored, ready to be used by nurses to treat walk-in patients without needing to obtain a prescription first.
The nurses would instead telephone the doctor for a remote prescription before injecting patients with the ‘stored’ Botox.
If, for any reason, the doctor could not be reached before treatment, the nurses would administer the Botox injections anyway – with the doctor phoning patients afterwards.
Though remote prescription is not illegal at present, administering Botox without a prescription is against the law. It also raises concerns about patient safety.
In the light of the investigation, the General Medical Council (GMC) has said that new rules will soon be published, making it illegal for doctors to remotely prescribe injectable cosmetic medicines, including Botox.
Nurses who do not hold the V300 prescribing qualification will be required to work directly with a doctor or dentist in order to issue prescriptions.
If you would like any information on our Botox training courses, or any of our other fully accredited courses, contact us on 0845 230 4110 or email [email protected].
The results of our latest training course are in…..and they’re better than ever!
Last Saturday, 12th May, Cosmetic Courses ran another fully subscribed Foundation course in Botulinum Toxin and Dermal Fillers.
We routinely ask all our delegates to fill out feedback forms to let us know what we’re doing right, as well as highlighting any areas we can improve on.
We’ve now collated the feedback from Saturday’s course, and are very proud to be able to share the results with you here.
The Verdict
Here’s how our delegates rated us:
- Accommodation and travel were given a score of 96%
- Structure of the course and discussion time scored 97%
- Course presentation, lecture, demonstration, venue and effectiveness of communication were all rated 99%
- Value of the course and amount learned were given a perfect 100%!
Our Foundation courses are designed for delegates just starting out in their aesthetic careers, and mark the very first step in their journey, so it’s particularly satisfying to hear that they found our latest course so useful.
We hope that many of these happy delegates will decide to join the ranks of our previous Foundation course delegates who have progressed to further study on our Intermediate and Advanced courses, or broaden their training into other areas such as Skin Peels and Dermaroller.
If you missed out on our last training course and would like to attend the next one, it will be held on Saturday 23rd June. Alternatively, we are always happy to arrange bespoke one-to-one sessions at a time that suits you. Contact us for more information on 0845 230 4110 or email [email protected].
Azzalure Question:
Dear Cosmetic Courses,
I really enjoyed Mr Adrian Richards’ presentation and the Foundation Course on Saturday . They were very good and I hope to shortly join you on the 4 hours 1-1 practical session.
I would like to ask you a question about Azzalure:
In addition to the glabellar area can Azzalure be used safely in other areas like the crow’s feet and the forehead ? If yes, how much is the recommended dose to use?
Azzalure Answer:
Thank you for your email- we are glad you enjoyed the course.
The answer to your question is yes you can use Azzalure for these areas- Mr Richards tends to use 3 units of Azzalure for each unit he would have used of Botox or Vistabel.
He finds that this a very similar effect and works well.
If you haven’t already, have a look at www.cosmetic-courses.co.uk where you should find more training material on this topic. There has recently been a Blog dealing specifically with this subject which you might also like to read.
With best wishes
The Cosmetic Courses Team.
Latest developments in facial rejuvenation surgery
Non-surgical skin treatments and surgical facial procedures often go hand-in-hand. The former, if begun early enough, can be a preventative to ward off the necessity for the latter until much later. Or, they can be used to compliment each other: there is little point a patient saving up and spending their hard-earned savings on that facelift only to reverse the effects by failing to pamper their skin.
Recent figures have shown a 50% increase in the number of people undergoing facial rejuvenation procedures during the last year. Why are more people considering these forms of treatment? Many people tell Cosmetic Courses’ founding Surgeon, Mr Adrian Richards, that they don’t like having their photograph taken and feel as if they would like to look fresher and less tired. Patients often tell him that they believe their face looks far older than they feel.
In the UK, most patients considering any form of treatment want to look as natural as possible. Treatments can realistically make you look as you did 8-10 years ago.
To achieve a natural fresh appearance it is important to address each of the following: The skin, active wrinkles caused by muscle contractions and gravity changes. For some people dramatic improvements can be achieved with skin treatments which involve minimal downtime and cost.
Skin treatments alone can make you look much fresher and brighter. These treatments may consist of Microdermabrasion, Genuine Dermaroller Therapy, or perhaps a light chemical peel. These all work in different ways to removes fine wrinkles, reduce pore size or cause mild skin contraction. Combined, they are highly effective to make the skin look fresher and more youthful.
Active wrinkles caused by muscle contraction are typically found between the eyebrows (frown lines), on the forehead and below the temple (crows feet). As these lines are caused by muscle contraction they are best treated by selectively reducing the overactive muscle activity in these areas. This best performed with small injections of botulinum toxin or dermal fillers into specific muscles.
Gravity changes include descent of the cheek region which causes deepening of the lines which come down from the nose to corner of the mouth. Other changes include loss of the jaw line and jowl formation. The neck skin can also loosen and the sharp angle between the neck and chin is lost.
Gravity changes are best treated with Surgery as the muscle layers of the face need to be repositioned in their previous position. In the forties and early fifties it is often best to have a Mini-face lift (MACS-lift). This elevates the cheek, jowl and neck regions and restores a more youthful face shape.
Most people in their mid to late fifties or older are more suited to more traditional face lift techniques (SMAS-lifts).
These techniques specifically tighten the neck and jowl regions.
Cosmetic Courses offer a Professional Development Section in conjunction with our sister company, Aurora Clinics. This aims to provide support and information about Surgical procedures to enhance the non-surgical training which you can gain with Cosmetic Courses.
It is perhaps unsurprising in America’s compensation culture. A controversial product like Botox is a bit of a sitting duck for legal allegations and, in April this year, manufacturers Allergan found themselves at the centre of exactly such a court battle.
After claiming that Botox injections left him with Brain Damage, 67-year-old Douglas Ray Jnr was awarded a whopping $212 million in compensation from Allergan. His is one of 3 court cases brought against Allergan, linking Botox to Brain Damage (the other 2 will be heard later this year). An inevitable media-frenzy followed.
This is despite the fact that no firm evidence was produced definitively proving Botox to be the cause of Mr Ray Jnr’s symptoms. Allergan also protest the allegations that they provide inadequate information about the potential risks associated with the drug. The company are now challenging the charges.
So CAN Botox cause Brain Damage?
Of course, regardless of our skepticism about the “trigger-happy claims” tendencies in the U.S., allegations such as these are bound to have patients – and practitioners – concerned.
At around the time of this court case, The Journal of Neuroscience (April 2nd issue) featured an Italian study conducted on adult rats. Type A Botulinum Toxin injected into one side of the rats’ brains was demonstrated to appear on the other side as minute protein particles. The ‘Botox causes Brain Damage’ media frenzy began, neatly tying in with the Allergan court battle.
Yet, as Fabulously40 bloggers Lois Stern and Patty Kovacs point out, the rats received purified botulinum toxin. The Botox typically injected into patients is not the same. And although migration of protein particles might be worrying, it cannot be taken as definitive proof of brain damage. In fact, senior Harvard surgeon Gary Borodic emphasises: “There is nothing in this paper that says these injections will damage neurons or that there are long-term side-effects.”
Be Careful of Misinterpreting the Facts
The fact that the Journal of Neuroscience article could create such media hype, despite being based on very little solid theory, has to make Practitioners also question the basis of the court case against Allergan.
For starters: what actually constitutes “Brain Damage”? Very few articles about this case actually describe Mr Ray Jnr’s symptoms in tangible detail (though this does not necessarily mean they are not physically as well as mentally present). And of the 2 other upcoming cases against Allergan, at least one of them (according to sideeffects.net) ‘linked the [Botox] injection to a person’s limited ability to perceive the emotions of others’. This seems a rather woolly definition of Brain Damage. It also reminiscent of the symptoms of Autism, bringing with it the connotations of another recent media hype surrounding an injectable drug treatment: the children’s MMR injections. As earlier stated: any controversial drugs or treatment programme becomes a scapegoat for criticism and compensation claims. But it is very hard to prove a definitive link when you are talking in terms of emotional capacity damage.
Secondly, it must be pointed out that Mr Ray Jnr did NOT receive Botox treatment for lines or wrinkles. By not clarifying this, the media has generally allowed the public to think that he was…and therefore created the mass panic of hundreds of Botox affeciendos! He was in fact having treatment for hand tremor and writer’s cramp. One of the charges brought against Allergan by the Justice Department are for promting Botox for “off label” use such as these,plus migraine headaches, juvenile cerebal palsy etc. All of these uses for Botox require different concentrations and methods of treatment which may involve a greater element of risk and have been tested for less time, on a lesser number of patients than Botox treatment for wrinkles.
In the Journal of Neuroscience featured study, the rats were injected directly into their brains…hardly a realistic testing condition for patients receiving treatment in standard cosmetic procedures. However, perhaps “off label” uses of Botox should be approached with greater caution until further investigations are carried out.
Finally, Douglas Ray Jnr’s ‘significant and catastrophic injury to the brain’ came about not through the Botox treatment itself but as a result of ‘severe accute immune reaction’ (BNET). This is where the charge against Allergan for failing to provide adequate information about the possible side-effects and risks of Botox comes into place. It is the duty of all good Aesthetic Practitioners to sufficiently warn their patients that, as with all drugs, Botox is not without risks. However (and especially in the case of the dosages used for anti-wrinkle treatment) these risks are well tested and marginal. A case like Mr Ray Jnr’s would be the absolute exception, not the norm.
And this is why, although it is of course important to express concern and to do your research when cases like the Allergan Botox Brain Damage trials come to light, we do not feel that Cosmetic Practitioners need to be putting Botox on the backburner just yet.
Article by Cosmetic Courses, leading UK providers of Aesthetic Injectables training (Botulinum Toxin and Dermal Fillers) to medical professionals. Call 0845 230 4110 for more details, or visit our website.
First Migraines, now Asthma…what else can Botox Treat?
We are not skeptics about the wonders of Botox, or Botulinum Toxin Type A. We are, of course, already familiar with its potential for smoothing fine lines and wrinkles, treating excess sweating (hyperhidrosis) and even of its medicinal uses for an array of good: from Essential Tremor to Multiple Sclerosis and Cerebal Palsy (almost any condition involving involuntary muscle movement!). More recently, those in the Medical Aesthetics industry have heard of the potential to treat their patients with Botox injections for Migraine. And now, the most recent development launched in Australia on Tuesday, comes testing of Botox as an Asthma alleviant.
Monash University tests Botox for Vocal Exhaustion
The research, conducted at Melbourne’s Monash University, involves particularly severe asthma cases….and Botox injections directly to the voicebox!
The focus is ‘vocal exhaustion’: as the Telegraph has reported, ‘half of people with asthma also have voicebox spasms that can make it difficult to exercise or perform other normal activities’. The theory is that using Botulinum Toxin Type A to work its paralysing magic on the voicebox will stop the spasms, allowing severe asthma sufferers to resume normal standards of breathing and activity.
Is Botox to the Throat really Safe
Botox is already used for other vocal chord disorders (like spasmodic dysphonia) so there is definitely logic behind this line of thinking and it could well work…if patients can be persuaded to have shots of paralytic toxin directly to their throats! The trials (lasting a year and initially conducted on 60 patients – 30 real, 30 placebo) are only based in Australia for now and the USA and UK are likely to take a little more persuading before theydecide to go ahead with similar research. For now, these countries are probably happy to sit back and watch with interest as director of respiratory medicine, Phil Bardin, and his team conduct the pioneering study: particularly as they are currently only “reasonably reassured that it’s safe”. Temporary quietness of the voice, however, is the only side-effect that they claim to be expecting.
One thing is for sure: continued research like this does show the credibility of Botulinum Toxin as a career path for Medical Professionals….this is not just a “Beauty” sector and there is a great deal of good, potential for pioneering work and health treatments which can be performed once you choose to train in Botox techniques.
Question :
Dear Cosmetic Courses,
I attended your basic and advanced courses in 2005.
I recently treated a 37 year old lady using Azzalure 3 x 0.1ml (15iu in 0.1ml) bilaterally to her orbicularis occuli. I performed my usual technique, injecting into the sites I usually inject into, and making sure I did not inject too low down on orbicularis occuli.
She came for review 2 weeks later, complaining of a heaviness over her cheeks making smiling difficult, more so on the right side.
Could you advise on any intervention that may alleviate this?
I have heard of practitioners advising stimulating the muscle using an electric tooth brush?
Answer :
It does sound like some of the Azzalure may be affecting your patient’s Zygomaticus Major or Minor.
This would cause the symptoms which you describe and is usually caused by the lowest of your crows feet injections.
We have seen this once before and it was caused by Dysport- there is some evidence that Dysport and Azzalure may disperse more than Botox making side effects like these more likely.
Unfortunately, there may not be much you can now do to alleviate it other than being supportive.
The electrical toothbrush trick may work and is certainly worthwhile trying, to both muscles 3 times a day for 5 minutes.
Good luck with this case and let us know how it goes.
The Cosmetic Courses Team
