Botox and facial filler treatments are an effective way of reducing or even eliminating lines and wrinkles – but the results and safety depend entirely on the skill of the person administering the injections. It is therefore vital that you only go to a qualified and registered practitioner.
Alarmingly, in Spain, cheap Botox and filler treatments can be had in many beauty salons and hairdressers. However, this is illegal and these injections are being administered by unqualified and unregulated practitioners.
The laws governing facial beauty injections in Spain are very strict and designed to protect patients. Only doctors are allowed to administer these treatments – nobody else. Not nurses, dentists and certainly not beauticians and hairdressers.
And, not just any doctor can administer Botox and Fillers. The doctor must attend a special training course and gain specialist qualifications. And the clinic where the treatments are carried out must also be licensed. The authorities will carry out regular checks to ensure that safety procedures are followed; including only using Botox that is legitimately sourced, that is within its date and correctly stored.
Many unqualified practitioners will argue that these measures are over the top and that their treatments are perfectly safe. But the regulations are there for a reason and seeing an unqualified and unlicensed practitioner can lead to disastrous results.
Complications, such as paralysis, facial necrosis and disfigurement are more likely if you use a practitioner who is not medically qualified to carry out what is a delicate medical procedure.
And a doctor will be able to deal with dangerous complications such as anaphylactic shock, a rare but extreme allergic reaction, someone working from a hair or beauty salon will not.
Even if someone does appear competent, if they are not a qualified and registered doctor they will be carrying out the treatment illegally and any insurance they may have will be worthless in the event that anything does go wrong. And you cannot be certain they are using high quality, legitimate products.
Prices for Botox in Spain do tend to be lower than in the UK because of lower overheads, but don’t just go for the cheapest without ensuring you are seeing a registered, qualified doctor.
So are Botox and filler treatments safe in Spain? Yes, they are as safe in Spain as anywhere else – as long as you check your practitioner’s qualifications and make sure her or she is registered.
Medcare’s GP is fully qualified and registered to carry out Botox and filler treatments at our clinics in Benijofar and Alfaz del Pi on the Costa Blanca.