UK surgeons: 'Ban non-medics from giving botox'

The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) is calling for a ban on "botox parties." Currently beauticians with no medical training are allowed to administer botox injections, but surgeons say only trained doctors, nurses, and dentists should give botox.

NHS medical, Sir Bruce Keogh, has been conducting a review of the cosmetic industry in the UK, and will present his report to the government by March. From there, the government may decide to pass tougher laws on 'casual' cosmetic treatments. "The profession has a responsibility to provide standards to which we would expect our members to work," RCS president Professor Norman Williams said according to BBC News. "We have serious concerns that not all those who offer cosmetic procedures are adequately qualified, or that patients are getting accurate information prior to treatment," Professor Williams continued. "We hope these standards will feed into the ongoing review of the industry led by the NHS medical director, Bruce Keogh, and improve quality of care for patients going forward." The RCS also believes that patients asking for botox should first be asked if they are or have ever battled an eating disorder, The Guardian reports. The college has also proposed the doctor document any signs of Body Dysmorphic Disorder, a condition where a person becomes obsessed with what they consider to be a "defect" in their appearance. Most importantly, surgeons have called for "Botox Parties" to be banned. Doctors in the United States have also warned of the dangers these parties can cause. Botox injections can actually be lethal if not administered properly by someone with the adequate medical qualifications. In 2011, a beautician from Birmingham, UK admitted to injecting her then 8-year-old daughter with botox. What am I doing for her now will help Britney become a star," she told The Sun in an interview conducted in March 2011. This isn't the only case where a mother has proudly admitted to giving their children in Botox. In 2012, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper kicked "Human Barbie" Sarah Berge off his talk show after becoming disgusted with the woman. Berge, a British woman, who has had a record-breaking number of surgeries, was on the show to discuss giving her 7-year-old daughter breast implant vouchers for when she turns 18, and for encouraging her 15-year-old daughter to get Botox to stop her forehead from sweating when she dances (professionally). After an undercover investigation by BBC News, The General Medical Council banned doctors from prescribing Botox over the phone and internet.