For a generation that holds Jordan and the cast of The Only Way is Essex up as role models, we more than ever see appearance as a mark of success. Whereas once makeup used to be enough, then we moved on to false eyelashes, hair extensions, and finally cosmetic treatments. Every woman’s dream is immediate and enduring perfection at any cost, and there are plenty of companies claiming to offer this, so how can we know which are genuine and which are preying on our insecurities and gambling with our looks for a quick buck?

Currently, in the UK, it is legal for anyone to call themselves a beauty practitioner and to perform a variety of medical procedures without any professional training or adhering to approved products. It is even possible to buy the syringes and fillers over the internet without proving you have any qualifications. It is possible to buy and administer over 130 different types of filler in the UK, compared with the US where only 6 are licensed for use. Adverts for these procedures are ubiquitous in women’s magazines, displaying heavily airbrushed results alongside images of the celebrities and models we are expected to idolise.

The industry providing cosmetic fillers is currently operating in the UK without any regulatory framework or body ensuring best practices and approval of products and treatments. A recent study by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) revealed that the number of reported problems with dermal fillers has doubled in the last three years, so it is all the more important to ensure that your practitioner has taken the necessary dermal filler training  , cosmetic courses training or aesthetic nurse training if you are considering getting dermal fillers.

Here at Dr Hennessy Academy we also offer Botox training and Botox courses.