Save Face – so what?

If you’ve had a look through my website you will have noticed I mentioned that both my clinic in Kings Hill and I are Save Face accredited. But what you may not know is why you, as a potential patient, should care about that.

After the PIP breast implant scandal hit the press in 2010 the government started to look at how something like this could have possibly happened. The Keogh report was commissioned which looked at safety within the cosmetic surgical sector and the cosmetic medicine sector. Some of what has gone on, and still does go on, is quite frankly terrifying – black market Botox injections being done by your local hairdresser, permanent silicone fillers being injected for £80 by ‘aestheticians’ who have no idea how to deal with the consequences if something goes wrong.

The Keogh report made several recommendations but unfortunately implementing them is easier said than done. A committee formed of professionals from all interested sectors is working towards implementation, but this could take many many years.
As consumers you are all very vulnerable to cowboy practitioners, and what Save Face is doing is providing you with a ‘go to’ point where you can find practitioners (Doctors, Nurses and Dentists) who have been inspected thoroughly so you can be assured they are safe places. The inspection covers everything from my personal insurance, to my commitment to continuing my education in this sector, to the cleanliness and infection control policies of my clinic.

So my top tips for staying safe:

• Make sure you know who is injecting you – you would be astonished how few people actually ask me if I’m a doctor. If it involves injecting things you should not be letting anyone who is not medically qualified do this.
• Ask them what product you are being injected with – after filler injections I give my patients a ‘treatment passport’ that gives them full details of their treatment with me.
• Check out the Save Face website – search for an accredited practitioner near you. You can be assured that anyone listed on this website has reached rigorous standards.
• Trust your instinct – if it doesn’t feel right just walk away, think about it and book another appointment if you decide to go ahead.