Alice Webb’s family is seeking the introduction of ‘Alice’s Law’, which would ensure only registered plastic surgeons can perform certain cosmetic treatments. Alice tragically died after receiving a cosmetic procedure, known as a ‘liquid Brazilian butt lift’ and was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital due to feeling unwell.
Treatments such as botulinum toxin (Botox) anti-wrinkle injections, cosmetic fillers (commonly known as dermal fillers), chemical peels, and energy-based treatments (such as pigmentation, reducing the appearance of scars, using lights to trigger the production of collagen for skin tone, cellulite reduction, and body slimming) are not heavily regulated, and can be performed by anyone who has undergone ‘training’.
We use the word ‘training’ lightly, due to ITV’s secret filming, showing some company’s training courses. One company’s training in particular lasted one day, whereby students were taught fat reduction – the training session cost £1,500 and the students were even allowed to ‘have a go’ at performing the procedure. The teacher at this Aesthetics taught her students that if you damage a nerve on one side, to be very careful on the other, and so far, she has ‘only damaged two nerves and one artery’.
Slowly, England and Wales are gaining regulations for cosmetic procedures, such as the introduction of the Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Act 2021, which made it illegal to administer botox or lip-fillers for cosmetic reasons to under 18-year-olds.
Implications of these procedures
An estimated 900,000 Botox injections are carried out in the UK each year. Save Face – a Government-approved register of accredited practitioners – received almost 3,000 complaints in 2022, with over two-thirds of those complaints relating to dermal fillers and almost a quarter relating to Botox.
Many people who have undergone these procedures have been left with long-term pain, scarring, and other side effects.
Compensation claims
If you have suffered injury as a result of a non-surgical cosmetic procedure, you may be able to make a claim for personal injury.
The clinic you received your treatment from should have a complaints procedure – ask to see it, make a formal complaint in writing, including; what happened, what you understood about the procedure, what happened during the consultation, procedure and aftercare, and your complaint itself.
Tips if you are planning on receiving a cosmetic procedure
- Ensure you receive a consultation before the procedure itself
- Is the practitioner going to be using any drugs? If so, conduct some research into these drugs
- What treatment are you actually undergoing and what are the risks?
- What experience does the practitioner have? What are their qualifications and how many times have they done this procedure?
- What aftercare is involved, is there a follow-up appointment, and what is the estimated recovery time?
- Conduct a search to see if the clinic is registered with Save Face. Save Face is a company that assesses every practitioner and its premises with a 116-point assessment against their Standards for Accreditation. Save Face is the only Government-approved register for non-surgical cosmetic treatments
How can we help?
Holly-Louise Batey is a Paralegal in our Personal Injury team, which is ranked in Tier One by the independently research publication, The Legal 500.
If you have any questions in relation to the topics discussed in this article, please contact Holly or another member of the team in Derby, Leicester, or Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online form.
Contact us