Recently there has been a lot of media coverage, interest and speculation regarding the regulation of all those who practice non-surgical aesthetics. At Visage Academy, we train all individuals that meet the criteria for Aesthetic Insurance and ensure that they are trained and assessed in line with Health Education England guidelines. Since 2014, we have also included comprehensive training in complications management; something I’m pleased to say that some other training academies have since included in their courses. Although our trainees come from a variety of professions and therefore have varying training requirements, we treat all of our students with the same level of respect and provide them with ongoing support. Our aim is to train all of our students to be safe practitioners who can recognise complications and manage them responsibly and effectively.
Myself and Visage Academy wholeheartedly support moves to regulate the non-surgical aesthetics industry, but believe this should incorporate an inclusive register that seeks to support all safe practitioners, regardless of their entry route into the specialty. Excluding one or more groups from such regulation can only undermine patient safety and cannot be justified with the logical fallacy that certain groups are ‘not well enough trained already to be trained now’.
There are bad practitioners in aesthetics on both sides of the fence and we need to have a robust system to deal with these practitioners medic or non-medic, swiftly and in a manner than enhances public confidence in our profession.
I will continue to work with colleagues and welcome engagement from any other interested parties who share my viewpoint to make aesthetics a safer, more regulated environment and to eliminate bad practices regardless of occupational background.
Michael Aicken
Founder and Lead Clinician of Visage Academy
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