The Ugly Side In The Beauty Business

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KUALA LUMPUR: Beauty salons are also jumping into the Ramadan sales craze to lure customers by offering attractive discounts on all kinds of cosmetic procedures
Using the testimonials of their “satisfied” cus­­tomers and specially created videos to pro­­mote their array of services – ranging from skin whitening to body sculpting – these salons are the bane of qualified aesthetic doctors. This is because many women who fall prey to the cheap packages offered by these salons are forced to seek the help of doctors when they end up with complications
Dr Nazelia Thibroni, who has worked in the field of aesthetic medicine for eight years, said it was worrying when beauty centres provide treatments – some of which should only be carried out by medical doctors qualified in the field of aesthetic medicine – at unreasonably low prices
“It’s impossible to offer cheap aesthetic treatments because the costs involved are high as only high-quality products are used
“Furthermore, only qualified personnel can undertake such treatments
“Those salons that offer impossibly cheap packages may have treatments that are done by unqualified beauticians. This is a very worrying situation,” she told Bernama
Dr Nazelia, who has two clinics in Shah Alam, Selangor, and Alor Setar, Kedah, said every year after Hari Raya Aidilfitri, many patients come to her clinic to “correct the defects on their faces”, no thanks to the botched treatments they underwent at the hands of unqualified beauticians.She said most of these patients had been administered injectable dermal fillers, an increasingly popular anti-ageing cosmetic treatment in the country
Dermal filler injections are a means of filling out wrinkles and creases on the skin, as well as to plump up thin lips and increase the definition of the cheeks
Some women are also opting for breast and buttock augmentation using injectable fillers as they feel that this non-invasive treatment mode is safer than undergoing plastic surgery
But Dr Nazelia warned the injectable filler treatment can pose a danger if administered wrongly by an unqualified therapist, as it can lead to cancer or complications such as blindness, loss of limb functions, facial paralysis or even death
She said many of the patients who came to her clinic after being administered with an injectable filler had developed granuloma or small areas of inflammation on their faces
“Some suffered from abscesses, bleeding, bacterial infection and bruises. And, for the majority of patients who sought treatment at my clinic, the problem had turned chronic by the time they came to me
“They had earlier wasted time trying to seek the help of the salon where they received the beauty treatment but they were either not entertained or told to see a doctor,” she said
Dr Nazelia even had a patient whose breasts were disfigured after being injected with questionable fillers, as she had sought medical intervention at a late stage
“It is highly probable that the substances for the filler injections used by many salons operated by unqualified beauticians are not approved or licensed by the Health Ministry,” she said
She said hyaluronic acid was the most basic substance used in filler injections and its effects last between nine and 12 months, after which another injection would be required
“However, unqualified salons are known to use petrolatum-based fillers as a substitute for hyaluronic acid, which is not cheap
“Petrolatum, when injected into the skin, can cause the injected part to become hard, painful and lumpy,” she said
It has been reported that more than 20,000 unlicensed beauty therapists or aestheticians operating in this country offer services that should be undertaken by doctors qualified in aesthetic medicine
“Many people think that beauticians can carry out all kinds of cosmetic procedures just because they have a lot of experience in this field. This is a totally wrong perception
“Apart from the normal facials or massage, anyone going for any other form of cosmetic treatment must consult a doctor first
“These days, the treatment to remove acne scars is being offered by so many salons out there but in actual fact, only doctors are supposed to do it
“This is because many people have sensitive skin and suffer from allergies so it’s im­­portant to know the client’s history before performing any cosmetic procedure but this is not practised at unlicensed salons,” she said
Dr Nazelia also questioned the authenticity of the laser equipment purportedly used for cosmetic procedures at certain beauty centres, saying that medical grade lasers were costly and can only be operated by registered medical practitioners under the Medical Device Act 2012
She is also worried that there might be beauticians who do not use laser equipment. Instead, they may be using a normal machine that exudes light but its use can cause blackened marks to appear on the face
Urging the authorities to monitor the treatments provided by beauty salons, she said many of them advertised their services on social media
One such advertisement claimed that Vita­min C can make the skin fairer and that it can be self-injected at home at a low cost
“Most of the Vitamic C advertised not only contain Vitamin C but also other substances like tranaxaemic acid which, if injected, can damage blood vessels
“It may also have other in­gredients that can cause kidney failure,” she said
Dr Nazelia said that those wishing to go for aesthetic treatment should seek the services of a doctor who possesses the Letter of Cre­den­tialing and Privileging (LCP) that is issued by the Health Ministry to allow him/her to practise aesthetic medicine
The LCP was introduced by the ministry as part of efforts to check the sharp rise in the number of unlicensed aesthetic medical practitioners in this country. — Bernama

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