If you have ever considered or had an aesthetic treatment you will be only too aware how challenging it can be to find someone that you can trust. With new practitioners popping up left, right and centre the choices can be confusing and many people are influenced purely on price, sometimes leading them to be pressurised into 'too good to be true' deals that can leave them feeling regretful and disappointed.

Unfortunately, many consumers would rather pay less for their cosmetic treatments and do not stop to think about their own safety, resulting in thousands of people suffering distressing complications or poor results at the hands of non-medical practitioners. Currently the industry is almost entirely unregulated whilst the demand for treatments such as Botox and dermal fillers continues to rise. The government has recognised the risks to the public and although The Department of Health has made a clear recommendation for tighter regulation, the government have yet to take action. This means that currently ANYONE can provide injectable aesthetic treatments, leading to a surge in the number of complications arising from aesthetic procedures with these 'rogue' practitioners being unable to treat complications such as allergic reactions, infections, blood vessel damage etc., leading to complications being left unrecognised and untreated.

If you have been browsing our website or social media pages you may have noticed that we keep banging on about Save Face and we proudly display the Save Face logo - but what is Save Face and what does it mean?

So basically, Save Face is a government approved Register which which was set up to provide the public with an online resource to help you to choose a trained, qualified and registered practitioner. All Save Face approved practitioners are medically qualified (i.e. doctors, nurses and dentists) and all have undergone rigorous checks before being granted Save Face accreditation. Save Face is recognised by the Department of Health, NHS England , The Care Quality Commission , The Professional Standards Authority and Health Education England and allows you to search, compare and rate practitioners registered with them.

In order to become accredited by Save Face ALL practitioners and premises are individually assessed and inspected against a stringent set of standards. This is a very thorough process which checks:

The Practitioner

• Is who they say they are
  
• Their qualifications are genuine and relevant
  
• Their training and experience is appropriate
  
• Is insured
  
• Is registered with a statutory body (e.g. Nursing & Midwifery Council , General Medical Council )
  
• Undertakes regular training updates
  

The Clinic/Premises

• Comply with Health & Safety Legislation
  
• Are clean and clinically appropriate
  
• Has the necessary equipment and facilities to provide the treatments safely
  

The Products/Equipment

• Are genuine
  
• Are appropriately licensed
  
• Are clinically safe
  
• Are sourced from legitimate suppliers
  
• Are appropriately stored and maintained