Anti Wrinkle Injections and Filler – Medical Professional or Non Medical Professional?

Aesthetic injections and fillers have become the norm over the past decade, even more so in the past 3 years! With the industry being worth a whooping £30billion to the UK economy according to the telegraph in 2019*, there is more than a few providers out there offering this service.

With anti wrinkle injections and filler being the most common injectables on the market currently and such a grey area still in legislation regarding who can carry out this service, here is some information to help keep you informed.

What can you expect from a doctor or medical professional offering this service?

As expected, doctors and nurses go through lengthy and intense training throughout their career in order to practice medicine in the most safest way possible, in the UK a degree level or doctorate is standard. When undergoing a procedure like anti wrinkle injections or fillers, you should feel assured these are fully equipped to understand any medical history, contra indications, medical concerns and the anatomy of the face and body.

With rare risks such as temporary facial drooping and necrosis (infection), an understanding of the facial structure is considered  essential in ensuring safety and preventing or diagnosing any rare problems and be equipped to manage any complications. Current legislation dictates only medical professionals can prescribe botulinum toxin as this is classified as a controlled prescription only drug, this same legislation does state that all non medical prescribers should be accompanied by a medical prescriber when performing botulinum injections.

What can you expect from a Non Medical professional?

A non medical professional can have completed the same aesthetic course as a medical professional and may not hold the same medical experience or background knowledge. Some non medical professionals train in beauty therapy gaining a Level 4 qualification then go onto completing an independent injectable course. In this case a non medical professional should be accompanied by the medical prescriber when performing Botulinum injections.