Lack of legislation around injectable aesthetics 'glaring public safety failure'

Dermal fillers are currently not regulated in Ireland. File picture

A medical doctor and aesthetics practitioner says the lack of legislation around injectable aesthetics is “a glaring public safety failure”.

Cork man Stephen Creedon and his sister Niamh, who holds a PhD in chemistry, have come together to develop an online directory of registered aesthetic practitioners, following an RTÉ Investigates probe into the sale and offering of Botox-type products illegally in Ireland.

The platform is a free directory of aesthetic clinics in Ireland where every listed practitioner has been independently verified against the Medical Council, Dental Council, or the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland register.

Dr Creedon said: “We just want to make sure that people are putting their skin in the right hands. 

"People are scrolling social media, seeing a great price on lip filler or Botox, and booking an appointment without having any way of knowing whether that person has any legitimate qualifications.” 

Anti-wrinkle injections are currently prescription-only in Ireland and must be administered by registered doctors, dentists, or nurses working under medical direction. 

However, the same legal requirements do not exist for dermal fillers.

The Patient Safety (Licensing) Bill, which would help regulate the area, was approved by the then government in December 2017 and subsequently underwent pre-legislative scrutiny. 

It was then referred to the Office of the Attorney General. 

A free directory of aesthetic clinics in Ireland where every listed practitioner has been independently verified against the Medical Council, Dental Council, or the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland register has been established. File picture

Last June, the legislation was approved for drafting by the government and work is ongoing on it, according to the Government’s spring legislation programme.

Dr Creedon said: “Ireland urgently needs dedicated legislation defining who is qualified to administer aesthetic injectables. 

"As things stand, it isn't just a regulatory grey area, it is a glaring public safety failure. 

"The longer it takes to legislate, the more inevitable it becomes that someone will be seriously harmed before action is taken.” 

Niamh Creedon, who conducted research of each practitioner operating in Ireland, told the Irish Examiner that she came across one woman offering an aesthetics service who appeared at first glance to be a medical doctor. 

However, closer inspection revealed she did not have a medical background but was instead a scientist.

She added that as a result of her research, she is now being bombarded with social media advertisements for “cheap filler” because the sector is not regulated.