Botox - How Qualified is Your Practitioner?

Is your medical aesthetics practitioner suitably qualified to administer your Botox or dermal filler treatment? Many aren't. This article explains why.

Skin Beautiful Medical and Cosmetic Clinic provides expert advanced dermal filler treatments at clinics in Exeter Milton Keynes Bristol Coventry Swansea Warwick Daventry Evesham Carmarthen Llanelli and Neath.

Experienced doctor, qualified GP, registered dentist or trained nurse. Which one is qualified to administer Botox or dermal fillers?

The answer is none of them! It may come as a surprise, given the way in which many doctors, GPs and nurses advertise their aesthetics services that many have no independent training or qualifications in administering injectable Botox or dermal fillers.

Whilst Botox (botulinum toxin type-A) is a prescription only medicine and is therefore prescribed by a doctor, dentist or nurse prescriber this tells us nothing about the actual process of injecting or administering the product. Ironically, a GP may promote Botox in such a way as "All injections by a fully qualified GP" and yet during a normal GP surgery he/she would delegate the task of routine injections to a practice nurse.

This scenario becomes all the more ironic when considering that Botox and dermal fillers require specialist knowledge regarding placement and injection technique and yet a doctor who doesn't even inject flu jabs is somehow able to offer Botox injections.

Fully Qualified!

What exactly does this mean? It would probably be better for your GP or nurse to answer this question, but I will attempt to interpret the hidden small print.

In most cases where a doctor or GP makes reference to qualification then it should be interpreted as being qualified as a medical doctor. The same applies to dentists and nurses whom claim to be either 'registered' or 'qualified.' For example, a registered nurse (without a nursing degree) or registered general nurse (having a BSc. degree in nursing).

In addition, some doctors, GPs, nurses and dentists also mention 'registered with GMC, NMC, GDC, etc.' This is in reference to the governing council of whichever field they practice in. For example, a GP would have to be registered with the General Medical Council to practice. Similarly a nurse would have to be registered with the Nursing & Midwifery Council to practice on a hospital ward, as a health visitor, etc.

Fully Unqualified Practitioner

I'm sure by now you will have noticed the absence of any suggestion of being a 'qualified aesthetics practitioner.' This is quite blatant. Many GPs will point to their medical qualifications to reassure the client. That is until the client asks what training and qualifications they have in aesthetics. This is a question I once posed to an anonymous GP run 'skin clinic.'

A lady client had approached me following a treatment at another clinic and complained about results from a recent cheek augmentation. She wanted to disclose the name of the clinic to me and I called to enquire about a treatment. When I asked about the practitioner I was told that a fully qualified GP would be performing the treatment. When I further asked about his aesthetics qualifications I was told that he was fully qualified in all non surgical procedures. However, when I asked which medical aesthetics company trained the GP I learned that he had received no training or qualifications in aesthetics whatsoever. I politely told the receptionist that I would not be wanting treatment from a practitioner that has never been trained with Botox or dermal fillers.

Questions to Ask Your Practitioner

If you are considering investing money in a non surgical treatment then you have every right to know about the training and ability of your practitioner. Firstly, ask how they learned to inject Botox & dermal fillers and ask who trained them. Then ask what qualifications they have in aesthetics.

You want to know for certain before any treatment commences that your chosen practitioner has received training and is qualified in the exact procedure being given. It is of little comfort to know that a practitioner has attended a short half day course and watched a demonstration of frown lines being treated when you are wanting an advanced procedure such as a jaw definition or cheek enhancement.

Recognised Qualifications

A practitioner that is properly qualified will have been trained and systematically examined by a trainer when performing a live, unassisted treatment. Only once the trainee has proven to be competent in all procedures then a certificate is awarded. It is evidence that a practitioner can perform a treatment safely and correctly.

There are several medical and aesthetics training companies in the UK. A respectable training company will require a minimum nursing, dentistry or medical degree and post qualification practice before enlisting applicants. They will also require trainees to prove their ability in injecting for every treatment that the training course requires before issuing a certificate.

On completion of the course(s) the certificate will provide evidence of a practitioner's ability to perform a treatment in a safe and professional manner. A certificate should also carry a practitioner number too.

**An important note about aesthetics certificates**

A certificate in administering Botox and/or dermal fillers is a document providing evidence that the practitioner has performed relevant treatments unassisted and satisfied the examiner(s) in his/her ability and competence in performing these treatments. This is not the same as a certificate of attendance on a training course where delegates sit and watch routine demonstrations by an demonstrator.

There are many different aesthetics training courses for Botox and dermal fillers throughout the UK, ranging from half day demonstration courses to full 3 or 4 day medical assessment courses. A certificate of attendance is not a certificate of examination and provides little, if anything in terms of evidence of the competency and suitability of the practitioner to administer Botox or dermal fillers.

In support of Safe and Ethical Treatments

There are many doctors, dentists and nurses whom deliver a very high standard of professionalism in aesthetics. This blog in no way constitutes an attempt to single out certain types of practitioner. It was written in an attempt to inform the general public seeking Botox or dermal fillers treatments as to the meaning of 'fully qualified' and how it should apply to aesthetics.

As a qualified advanced medical aesthetics practitioner I understand that when a client approaches me wanting a treatment that it is my professional obligation to ensure the client knows exactly who I am and how suitably qualified I am to perform the required treatment.



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