County Durham woman unable to close her eyes after botched cosmetic procedure praises tougher action

It comes after the Government introduced new legislation which makes it an illegal offence for rogue medics to carry out cosmetic procedures such as Botox and fillers without a license

Author: Demi Olutunmogun, Alex UsherPublished 2nd Mar 2022

A woman from County Durham who was left unable to close her eyes after a botched cosmetic procedure has praised the Government for taking tougher action on the industry.

It comes after the Health Minister introduced new laws which will make it illegal for people to administer Botox or fillers without a license yesterday.

County Durham woman Dawn Knight was delighted by the move after calling for change since 2012.

She says it's a great first step but more can still be done to ensure the industry is safe.

"It is all moving towards a recognition of how horrendous parts of the cosmetic sector has become and how totally out of control some parts of the sector have become", said Dawn Knight.

"There is a big piece of work now to step up and stop misleading the public.

"There is a lot more to be done. We need to protect the public and we need to protect those who are being drawn into doing a one-day advanced course and suddenly you are qualified, insured and given access to the most deadly neurotoxin on the planet. Those days need to be confined to history.

"We really need to start to look at not only who is on the other end of the needle, but also what is in the syringe. This is a great first step, but I am under no illusion as to the amount work that needs to be put into place moving forward."

Protecting 'patients from potential harm'

Botox and filler providers in the UK will now need to have licences under new government plans to get tough on "cosmetic cowboys" after rising numbers of botched procedures.

The licensing scheme would aim to bring in consistent standards that people carrying out non-surgical cosmetic procedures must meet. It would also set out hygiene and safety standards for premises.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid outlined his commitment to making it an offence to perform such non-surgical work without a licence, saying:

"We're doing all we can to protect patients from potential harm, but I urge anyone considering a cosmetic procedure to take the time to think about the impact on both their physical and mental health and ensure they are using a reputable, safe and qualified practitioner."

Social media images have led to rising demand for fillers

Minister for Patient Safety Maria Caulfield said the spread of images online via social media has led to a rise in demand for Botox and fillers and there had been a subsequent increase in people suffering the consequences of badly-performed procedures.

She added:

"While these can be administered safely, we are seeing an unacceptable rise in people being left physically and mentally scarred from poorly performed procedures.

"Today's amendment is the next step on the road to effective regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England."

Details on the public consultation on non-surgical cosmetic procedures are expected to be set out at a later date.

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