Anti-wrinkle injections, injectables, botinlium toxin, Botox!! All the same name for the prescription medication that stops muscle activity, leading to loss of wrinkles. It is regularly referred to as “anti-wrinkle treatments” as the advertising standards agency in the UK do not allow people to mention the word “Botox” while advertising their services. In a lot of cases, some people find the very idea of getting Botox a no-no after seeing some botched or overdone results. Natural results are 100% possible. A lot of patients do not tell their close family or friends that they get it.
All of this is fine, but it does create a dark side. As a society, whenever we try and ignore something, even partially, it always opens the gate for abuse and misuse. It seems that as there has not been a full consensus in regard to Botox. It has lead to a very confused industry and even more confused patients.
We get asked regularly, “who can do Botox?”. This article will spend time on this subject, particularly to try and clear up a few things. We’ve kept it as impartial as possible!
Who can do Botox?
Easy answer, technically anybody! That answer may or may not surprise or shock you. Any member of the public can find a weekend course and at the end of it be classified as a facial aesthetics practitioner. Not all courses are made the same a lot of courses ask for certain levels of experience, however there are many, many courses that allow anyone to attend.
That isn’t the end of the story, it’s a tiny bit more complicated than that. Botox is a controlled drug which means it can only be given when prescribed. In the UK only 4 types of professions have the ability to write prescriptions for controlled drugs. Prescribing nurse practitioner (they have special qualifications and experience allowing them to prescribe), clinical pharmacist, dentists and or course medical doctors. As such, anyone who wants to buy Botox needs to have one of these people prescribe the drug for them. There are several people who make a living doing so and companies that offer similar services.
So that’s the simple explanation, and you can easily stop reading here if that’s all you wanted to know however, there is more information.
Insurance
To get insurance for Botox the industry has come together and said that you have to be a prescriber to be able to administer. Prescribers can mentor people and place them on the policies, allowing non prescribers to work fully insured.
Do I need to do a longer course?
Recently, there has been calls and moves from the industry to adopt a level 7 (masters equivalent) degree in facial aesthetics. This is usually a year course where theory and practical aspects are taught. Depending on the course, there may no entry requirements, or they may be quite strict. After completing the level 7 the hope is that most practitioners will have enough skill and experience to perform and administer Botox safely.
Is there anything else?
That is the main overview. It is important, in the fire, there will be several practitioners without level 7 working. Anyone with surgical experience or who has been working for years in the industry may not deem in necessary to bother with the level 7. Until the industry make it compulsory, it will be based on the practitioner own decision.
So, to summarise. Anyone considering Botox treatment should spend some time chatting to the practitioner. Make sure that you are comfortable with the level of experience and confidence and remember that if you’re happy it’s your right to refuse to go somewhere else or take some time to think about it.
-Dr Abraham McCarthy