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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    What accredition is required for businesses offering Fillers or Botox?

    Related Topic
    Cosmetic Medicine
    I was interesting in getting some anti wrinkle and facial treatments done but I'm not sure where to go, who is reputable and what to ask on my enquiries. How do I know who is allowed to administer Botox or Fillers?

    Are there particular qualifications or accreditation I should look for?
    • 2 answers
    • Dr John Mahony
    • Dr Christina Tan
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  • Dr John Mahony

    Cosmetic Physician

    Dr John Mahony studied Medicine at Sydney University 1980-1984 graduating early 1985. Internship and residency years followed in the Illawarra, covering general medical and surgical … View Profile

    Officially: these are Schedule 4 drugs and are therefore available only under a doctor's prescription. Officially, you therefore need to see a doctor first, and that doctor needs to prescribe the treatment for you.
    However, the policing of this field is generally poor, and so it is, sadly and arguably dangerously, possible to access these treatments without seeing a doctor first.

    In which case: caveat emptor!

    But once you have decided to make sure you see a doctor, who do you pick?

    Post-grad qualifications may not help you here. Surgeons busy doing surgery all day every day obviously can't *also* be doing Botox and fillers all day every day. There's no such thing as a Fellow of the Royal College of Botox.

    Think about seeing a doctor who works where fussy people live, and who has treated a lot of fussy people over a long period of time.

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    Dr Christina Tan

    Medical Practitioner

    Look Your Best Without Surgery. Melbourne Cosmetic Medicine is a dedicated cosmetic medical clinic, specialising in non-surgical cosmetic enhancement using the most popular Anti-Wrinkle Injections, … View Profile

    Non-surgical cosmetic treatments like anti-wrinkle injections, dermal fillers and lasers are becoming increasingly popular and main stream, which has led to a proliferation in clinics, beauty salons and day spas offering them and advertising aggressively to confuse the poor consumer. Seeing an unqualified practitioner can lead to unsatisfactory results and avoidable complications.

    Botox and dermal fillers are prescription medications that require a live face-to-face (not skype) consultation with the treating doctor before the treatment is performed. Only doctors have the background medical training to prescribe the treatments and manage any complications.

    The cosmetic industry is sadly unregulated and there are many roving nurse injectors with variable skills treating patients in beauty salons, day spas and budget chain clinics at heavily discounted prices. There are no on-site doctors to prescribe and supervise the treatments, and manage any complications.

    Consumers need to be aware that it is their own faces and bodies being treated, and that price should not be the main or only consideration. Although cosmetic injections appear to be a ‘minor’ treatment, it is actually a semi-invasive medical procedure with possible risks and complications. The medical training, expertise and reputation of their treating practitioner is of utmost importance for safe and natural results.

    In terms of finding the most suitable treating doctor for you, word of mouth from friends and family who have been treated is probably the best recommendation. If discussing your cosmetic wishes with others is too personal, professional organisations have data bases of doctors who specialise in cosmetic procedures. Check out www.cosmeticphysicians.org.au, www.dermcoll.edu.au or www.plasticsurgery.org.au.

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