Residents are being asked to be vigilant when buying anti-wrinkle injections after unlicensed products were recently found at premises across the borough where 'Botox' was being offered.
During routine visits trading standards and environmental health officers uncovered cheap products imported from overseas with no English labelling or instructions.
Other injectable products were found which could not be identified due to insufficient labelling, with these items potentially posing a very serious risk of injury to customers, including permanent disfigurement and scarring.
All related items were seized by the council’s public protection team as a result, with businesses reminded about their legal responsibilities in administering Botox and filler by way of injection for cosmetic purposes.
This follows relatively new legislation which prevents businesses from offering Botox to under 18-year-olds.
According to national statistics, more than 900,000 Botox injections are carried out in the UK each year.
Councillor Tricia Ayrton, deputy Leader and portfolio holder for climate change and environment, said:
“Botox is a highly popular cosmetic treatment that is often widely publicised to make you look younger. While there’s no issue with wanting to look younger, it’s really important you do your homework beforehand with these types of treatment – especially given what our officers found.
“Know who your prescriber is and who will be administering your treatment. The unlicensed products we’ve uncovered potentially posed serious health and safety risks, so it’s very important you stay vigilant."
During routine visits trading standards and environmental health officers uncovered cheap products imported from overseas with no English labelling or instructions.
Residents are also being asked to check what training and experience these businesses have and what their insurance arrangements are to avoid further potential issues.
If you have recently decided to have a cosmetic procedure and need to choose who will do it, the NHS provides useful guidance on what you should check for, including what you should do before and after a consultation along with what you should avoid.
Botox, officially known as botulinum toxin, is a prescription only product that is regulated by the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
To be used, customers must first take part in a face-to-face pre-consultation with a prescriber of the Botox product.
This is to ensure the customer’s medical history and suitability for the treatment can be properly checked by the prescriber, who must either be a doctor, dentist, nurse prescriber or pharmacist prescriber.
The person giving the injections does not have to be the same person who provided the prescription, however the prescriber must ensure that the person giving you the injections is trained and safe to do so.
If you have any information0 or concerns about a local business, or you are a practitioner seeking additional support, contact Rochdale’s public protection team on 0300 303 8871 or by email to environmental.health@rochdale.gov.uk.
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