The beauty world is notorious for fads and phases that are everywhere one minute and then vanish within a year or two. 

But one massive trend of recent years that’s not going away is the demand for non-surgical aesthetic treatments. 

These are the non-surgical cosmetic procedures that are designed to plump the skin, reduce wrinkles or reverse the signs of ageing. 

The most famous of these is Botox but they also range from injectable facial fillers to various peels and lasers treatments. 

And they are big business. 

Although the demand for cosmetic surgery has decreased since the financial turmoil of 2009, the market for less invasive ‘work’ is booming, with the UK aesthetics market alone heading toward the £3 billion mark. 

This lucrative market has naturally led to an increase in the number of providers offering these treatments with many of the procedures now being offered in beauty salons or ‘Botox Parties’, rather than medical practices or clinics. 

This has led to concerns that the industry is largely unregulated, with inexperienced and unqualified practitioners offering what is still effectively a medical procedure. 

The good news is that there is increasing support from the government in regulating the industry. In his time as Prime Minister, David Cameron commissioned a review of the cosmetic industry following increasing concerns from industry leaders and the general public. The resulting report (The Keogh Report) called for improved standards of care, accountability and record-keeping.

In addition to increased regulations, a growing number of companies are helping practitioners to get the training they need to carry out these cosmetic procedures safely and successfully. 

Companies such as Interface Aesthetics Training specialise in training doctors, dentists, and nurses in carrying out procedures such as Botox and Dermal Filler injections. 

This not only represents an exciting opportunity for those with a medical background to branch out into this burgeoning market, but it’s also a positive step in terms of higher standards within the industry.  

Increasing numbers of healthcare professionals and medically-trained practitioners offering these treatments, in regulated and clinical environments, is good news for individual customers and the industry as a whole. 

Beauty lovers will benefit from a larger selection of qualified medical professionals who are experienced in the level of care required for these procedures. 

These higher standards will also be reassuring for anyone who has been put off aesthetics treatments after hearing of bad experiences or seeing the results of procedures gone wrong. 

More practitioners with a medical background will reduce the risks or problems that can arise when non-medical providers carry out the treatments. For example, beauty therapists may be able to administer Botox or filler injections but are often unaware of potential hazards or unable to resolve problems if complications arise. 

Medically-trained providers are also a more holistic option for clients seeking aesthetic procedures for corrective reasons, i.e. after an accident or injury, because however lovely your local beauty therapist may be, she’s unlikely to be trained and skilled in the emotional care and psychological wellbeing of distressed patients. 

Increased provision from healthcare professionals could also open up a much broader market for the treatments, attracting people who wouldn’t opt for a salon procedure but who might feel more confident in the services of a medical clinic. 

So, overall, the higher standards that the industry will enjoy as more medical professionals train and offer these procedures is an encouraging and very welcome development in the beauty world.

Botox, fillers and other non-surgical treatments are likely to be a popular option for the foreseeable future, so it’s encouraging that both the government and specialist training companies are helping to ensure better services and care. 

The companies supporting healthcare professionals as they branch out into the beauty market are not only helping to meet the increasing demand for non-surgical procedures, but they are also raising the standards of the whole industry, as well as providing exciting new career options to doctors, dentists and nurses looking for a change. 

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