Last week there was much furore in the general media and on social media, after we published a report of beauty therapists performing a dissection on a human cadaver at a private course held within the facilities of Newcastle University. The course was not affiliated to the university.
For the purposes of clarity (aesthetic) trained Beauty Therapists in the UK can currently perform dermal fillers without the need of medical supervision or a medical qualification, as dermal fillers are classified under EU law as ‘devices’ and not prescription only medication.
A trained beauty therapist can also administer Botox injections to customers, but in this case his/her treatment requires the supervision of a medical professional. The supervising medical professional working with the beauty therapist must first have a consultation with the customer on a face to face basis, and then prescribe the ‘toxin” (such as Botox which is a prescription only medication) only after these elements have taken place; can the trained beauty therapist administer the toxin treatment by injection.
This campaign accepts that whilst trained beauty therapists are legally allowed to carry out such treatments, we suggest to our readers and supporters of the campaign: that anyone seeking invasive aesthetic treatments should consult with a trained and experienced (reputable) medical professional. That said, it is entirely the choice of an individual where they shop for beauty treatments, but our purpose as a campaign is educate and empower the public to make safe choices.
The outrage caused last week by the news reports of beauty therapists engaging in dissection training courses led to many of our followers and supporters asking: if dissection courses on human cadavers are indeed such a ‘new thing’ – the answer simply put is no.
Our focus for the much heated discussion centred on the fact that such a sensitive subject as cadaver dissection should only be confined to medically qualified professionals with a deeper understanding and trained background in anatomy.
Many people both within the aesthetic and general medical communities and the general public were simply uncomfortable in the knowledge that individuals with no formal medical career, training or qualification (whatsoever) should be allowed to undertake cadaver dissection. It was a sentiment we echoed robustly as a campaign last week.
The individuals involved at the centre of their discussion defended their motives and objectives stating it was for the purposes of ‘knowledge and education’ whilst the intentions were noted and seemingly acceptable amongst the community of trained beauty therapists offering such treatments, it still fuelled much debate and controversy, which we are sure will rage on for some time.
We have done some interviewing and research to help clarify this question for you, such as: who can perform these kinds of courses? who are they for? and how does the medical profession benefit?
Such courses have existed for some time in the medical spheres and they do help medics and cos-medic professionals understand many complex issues on a much more practical and in-depth level.
Anna Baker from Dalvi Humzah Aesthetic Training Courses took some time out for The Safety in Beauty Campaign to explain to us why qualified medical professionals take the time to embark on such courses.
Facial Anatomy Training by Anna Barker
“In 2012, Facial Anatomy Teaching was developed to meet the growing need for aesthetic medical practitioners performing non-surgical treatments, to access bespoke, anatomical teaching. The ethos of the independent courses is to deliver an entirely unique experience and to present facial analysis in a truly 3 dimensional and dynamic manner. In addition, delegates are encouraged to come with concepts and questions, which they would specifically like to explore, so that the learning needs of each group may be individually structured.
These sessions provide delegates with the most current anatomical literature and findings. This is supported by practical injection and clinical dissection, to analyze the current injection techniques and explore the anatomy. This provides the clinician with an appreciation of the safe areas to inject with regards to the anatomy and patient safety.
One of the key messages, which we try to convey to delegates is to visualize the 3 dimensional aspect of the face, a perspective which is difficult to appreciate from a text book. A variety of injectable products and technical approaches are explored, both theoretically, and practically during the dissection, to provide practitioners with insight into the importance of understanding product characteristics. Facial Anatomy Teaching has 5 CPD points from The Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow.
Age related facial changes are complex, with some of the important anatomical findings related to aesthetics, being described only recently. With this in mind, we encourage medical aesthetic practitioners to remain abreast of such developments as these are significant in terms of our understanding of facial analysis and how we subsequently treat an ageing face.
In 2014, we developed an additional course alongside Facial Anatomy Teaching to focus on the management of non-surgical complications. Our feedback consistently demonstrated that this is a much needed area of training. It is also a highly specialized area in terms of management and patient safety. Mr Dalvi Humzah holds surgical Consultancy roles in the aesthetic sector in the management of complications associated with non-surgical procedures. Medical practitioners require expert guidance on the recognition, diagnosis and management of complications. Practical issues on the current recommendations on the use of Hyalase and other products in the event of emergencies are explored. The feedback reflects the exceptional popularity of this session, which has 6 CPD points from The Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow.
The purpose of these specialized teaching sessions is to convey safe techniques with regard to patient anatomy. Medical professionals will develop an insight of the key anatomical structures and how to avoid these through practical experience of safe injection techniques using needle and cannula approaches.
Both anatomy sessions take place at The Royal College of Surgeons in London and The Clinical Anatomy Skills Centre at Glasgow University and are conducted in strict accordance with The Human Tissues Act 2004.
Anatomical knowledge is fundamental to perform any aesthetic procedure. Without an awareness of current anatomical concepts and safe techniques, patients are at an increased risk of potentially serious complications.
Dalvi Humzah Aesthetic Clinical Courses now provides bespoke injectable training to practice and consolidate safe injection techniques. Medical practitioners now have the option to access specialize anatomical training, complication management teaching, as well as expert tuition and guidance with injectable training with award winning tutor Mr Dalvi Humzah who has been performing injectable treatments for over 25 years. The courses are coordinated by Anna Baker who is an Assistant Tutor with a PGCert in Applied Clinical Anatomy.
Current anatomical teaching within Aesthetics may not guarantee that facial age-related anatomical teaching is directly correlated to injectable treatments, and hence to safe techniques. It is prudent for medical professionals to research the academic and clinical credentials of tutors providing training, to ensure that the course meets the medical professionals requirements”
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We kindly thank Anna Baker and Mr Dalvi Humzah for their information and assistance in helping the public gain a deeper perspective of the subjects now brought into the light by last weeks social media and general media reports
Safety in Beauty