Costhetics is proud to be part of the cosmetics and enhancement industry.
As Australia’s premier resource for news and information about physical aesthetics, Costhetics is eager to keep professionals and patients attuned to developing trends and discoveries. Usually we have good news to share about exciting new innovations. Today, however, we’re going over to the dark side…the world of unscrupulous providers and the patients they prey upon.
Evildoers: Why Cosmetic Enhancement Attracts So Many
Plastic surgery and aesthetic treatments are big business. In Australia alone, people spend approximately $1 billion on beauty treatments, including facial plastic surgery and body contouring. The golden/platinum egg is simply too good for shady providers to resist. When the Sydney Morning Herald looked at this problem in 2016 it reported, “A growing wave of backyard beauticians with no Australian medical qualifications are performing cosmetic procedures on clients lying on beds and couches in Sydney flats, leaving real doctors to clean up their botched jobs.”
Turn on the TV, open a magazine, or just listen to people talking and you’re bound to hear tales of unapproved, unlicensed procedures that cause permanent pain, disfigurement, and even death. It’s bad enough that self-proclaimed medical professionals offer procedures they don’t know in facilities that aren’t safe. What makes a bad situation even worse is patients may be given diluted medications or out-and-out fakes.
In the Bullseye: Lipodissolve
Ask around and trustworthy professionals will tell you that lipodissolve is the most ill advised treatment available today. (Source: ABC News) As its name suggests, lipodissolve “dissolves” away stubborn fat deposits. It is part of a type of mesotherapy, a treatment in which multiple tiny injections of pharmaceuticals, vitamins, etc., are delivered into the mesodermal layer of tissue under the skin. Proponents of the treatment say it can tighten sagging skin, reduce the appearance of cellulite, and break up localised fat deposits.
Detractors ask, “Where’s the science?” To date, there are no studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of this treatment. What there have been are reports of unexpected side effects such as permanent scarring, skin deformation, and painful knots under the skin at the injection site.
4 Cosmetic Procedures to Reject
Cosmetic enhancement was once a fad, then a trend, and now has become a way of life for millions of people around the world. There are new developments coming across the horizon, but you may want to think twice, then three times about:
- Silicone oil injections are said to treat acne scars. If the injection becomes inflamed or infected, serious complications can result.
- Neck lifts that remove sub-jawline glands may reshape the jawline, but it can also cause dry mouth and/or bleeding that can impact night time breathing.
- Removing a rib to diminish the waistline presents a host of high-risk complications including damaging the kidneys and other organs, and puncturing a lung.
- Removing the fat pads from a patient’s cheeks may rejuvenate them temporarily, but in the long term, the volume depletes. This leaves the face looking skeletal or overly sculpted.
One piece of wisdom Costhetics is always eager to share is this: protect yourself and your health as you enhance your beauty. Be sure to put your trust in an experienced, well-trained, and well-respected professional, not a fly-by-night faker. Before you schedule a consult, check the credentials of the person providing a cosmetic enhancement service to you and check his/her online recommendations. You can even get tips from the websites of Australia’s most respected professional societies such as the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, the Australasian College of Dermatologists, and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.
Stay beautiful and stay safe!