Many of us strive to look our best. From keeping up with fashion trends to having the latest beauty treatments, our aim is to look good and feel good.

But just how safe are those treatments we’re having?

According to local aesthetics practitioner Jessica Sammons, they may not be quite as safe as we think.

Jessica said: “We hear stories weekly of beauty or aesthetics treatments that have gone wrong, and we see many clients who need corrective treatment.”

Jessica runs JAG Therapeutics and Aesthetics, who have recently expanded to open a clinic above Steve Ryding Hairdressing in Lune Street.

She said “Our main services including anti wrinkle injections, commonly referred to as botox, dermal fillers, and skin treatments such as chemical peels. Many of these treatments a prescription prior to having them, but with so little regulation in the aesthetics industry, there are beauticians locally injecting people with little or no training. We even know of one practitioner who admits to learning what they know from YouTube.”

According to the Aesthetics Complications Expert (ACE) Group cosmetic medicine is a rapidly growing and expanding area and it may surprise the public to know that it is nearly entirely unregulated. Treatments should only be performed by medically qualified practitioners including doctors, dentists, nurses and prescribing pharmacists.

However as there is no enforcement of these rules, it is not uncommon to find a therapist who has been on a course and claims to be qualified to perform potentially dangerous treatments including injecting prescription only medicines.

Jessica says this isn’t unusual. “It’s a rapidly growing industry with new people popping up every week trying to add botox or fillers to their list of other treatments. But the problem is, many of these people are using unlicensed products, and in the case of botox, may even be buying it illegally from the black market.”

Government backed campaign Save Face reports that in the last year complaints to them about botched treatments have more than trebled, with the majority being about lip filler treatments.

They go on to say that data shows more than 83% of treatments were performed by non medics.

One of the biggest risks with injections that go wrong is that a patient could develop necrosis, a form of cell injury that results in the premature death of cells. This can lead to permanent scarring or worse, infection leading to death.

Jessica said it’s imperative that those wanting aesthetics procedures check out their practitioner and their claims: “Ask questions such as, are you qualified? Can you prove it? What are the possible side effects or complications? If you aren’t happy with the answers, go elsewhere. If you’re going to buy a car, you don’t just say ‘I want the red one over there’. You want to know more about it.

“We display all of our training certificates in our clinic alongside our certificate of insurance and professional registration. We also have a full emergency medicine kit in clinic in case something goes wrong. Our passion is to enhance people’s natural beauty, but our responsibility is to make sure it’s done as safely as possible.”

JAG Therapeutics and Aesthetics can be found on Facebook and Instagram or at www.JAGTherapeutics.co.uk. They are currently running a number of opening offers for new clients.