Regulation in non-surgical facial aesthetics remains a particularly sticky subject mainly because many feel that it is massively under regulated. There is an ease of availability of dermal fillers to any member of the public who wishes to inject them, irrespective of knowledge, training or previous experience and so clearly current regulatory measures does not take into consideration the potential risks associated with the administration of these products. In 2013, there was an independent review, which many refer to as the “Keogh Review”, published by the Department of Health titled the “Review of the Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions”. The report highlighted the serious lack of regulation and protection for the public from the potential risks of cosmetic procedures. In their view “dermal fillers [were] a crisis waiting to happen” and “in fact, a person having a non-surgical cosmetic intervention has no more protection and redress than someone buying a ballpoint pen or a toothbrush”(1).
The reality is that Dentists, Doctors and Nurses are regulated by statutory bodies i.e. GDC, GMC and NMC respectively and so there is a level of accountability in respect to what they do and an inherent duty of care to patients that are treated, which clearly does not apply to individuals that are not governed by a statutory body. However, despite having a registration with a professional body, this does not clarify the educational expectation for these regulated practitioners. As a result, one of the action points from the Keogh review was for Health Education England (HEE) to instigate the development of accredited qualifications. Various stakeholders within the cosmetics industry, including the GDC, came together to formulate and release the detailed qualification requirements for those who wish to deliver of these treatments (2)(3).
This framework of requirements forms the foundation for the College of General Dentistry specification of the Postgraduate Certificate in Non-Surgical Facial Aesthetics (Level 7) being delivered by RASA Academy. To this extent this structured programme marries up with the expectation of what is required educationally from a practitioner who wishes to carry out facial aesthetic procedures, such as Botulinum Toxin and Dermal Fillers. Simply attending a short course alone will not be sufficient to demonstrate competency in this field and so for those you who are wishing to embark in career, which involves the use of cosmetic injectables, these are some very important points to consider.
To find out more about the Postgraduate Certificate in Non-Surgical Facial Aesthetics (Level 7) by the College of General Dentistry please visit our page here.
1) Review of the Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions. Final Report. Department of Health. Keogh B. (2013)
2) Health Education England. Part One: Qualification requirements for delivery of cosmetic procedures: Non-surgical cosmetic interventions and hair restoration surgery (2015)
3) Health Education England. Part Two: Report on implementation of qualification requirements for cosmetic procedures: Non-surgical cosmetic interventions and hair restoration surgery (2015)