Who are Cosmetic Surgery ‘Cowboys’ and why you should avoid them?

Cosmetic surgery is a huge industry in the UK. These procedures are clearly not limited to celebrities only as more than 50,000 procedures were performed in 2013 alone with a rise of 17% from last year according to The Guardian. The demand for cosmetic treatment services is only increasing, but how many of us can ensure that their procedure is being done in safe hands? Having a procedure by a cosmetic cowboy is a huge risk and something that should be completed avoid.

Cosmetic cowboys is a term used for aesthetic medicine practitioners who have inappropriate credentials. Such individuals may intentionally or unintentionally attempt procedures by taking needless risks.

The strict rules and regulations are imposed each year, however that the changes are still criticized for not being able to curb such issues properly. Heart-rending case involving death of a US citizen Claudia Aderoti due to injection of an unapproved chemical is a reminder of how worse a bad cosmetic surgery can fall out. Both surgical and non-surgical procedures are 100% safe.

Despite such danger, the popularity of cosmetic procedures, such as breast enlargement, nose job, Botox and liposuction is increasing rapidly. Young patients and those who opt for procedures for the first time become easy victims for cosmetic cowboys. An unfeigned cosmetic surgery clinic in UK only appoints doctors with appropriate credentials and guide their customers about each and every step which they have to go through while also educating science behind them to aware about potential results. Also there are few things which you can do to by yourself to find out if you are dealing with a potential cosmetic cowboy:

• Find out if the clinic registered with an authoritative medical organization such as General Medical Council (GMC) or British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS)?
• How qualified and experienced is the doctor who is going to conduct the procedure?
• Avoid clinics who try to over-sell their services by using slogans such as ‘100% guaranteed’, ‘perfect results’, ‘pain-free solution’ etc. as realistically, no doctor can assure 100% efficiency.
• Avoid undergoing cosmetic surgery abroad as it is very difficult to completely study a foreign clinician’s record and if anything goes wrong abroad you may have to go through complicated legal processes.
• As soon as you get done with these steps and have chosen a clinic, you will need to rest assure further points ahead:
• Has the cosmetic surgeon told you about potential side effects of the procedure to be done?
• Who is attaining your consent for the surgery – the practitioner, nurse, or someone else?
• Before treatment, ensure that it is clarified in contract about who is responsible for monitoring your condition after surgery, and who will be financially liable for the correction of any complications in case of bad results. Currently, there is no legal requirement which places a duty on the clinic or surgeon to offer aftercare following the treatment if the patient is harmed due to cosmetic procedure. You may be required to issue proceedings for the remedy.

There’s a need for crackdown against the cosmetic cowboys. However, with some research you should be able to find out the right cosmetic clinic for you. If you have suffered from a bad cosmetic procedure mistreatment, contact a concerned organization or a health authority as early as possible.