Surge in lawsuits for cosmetic cowboys

Posted by Marie Claire for MSN at 14:53 on 19 Jul 2010

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Botched beauty treatments performed by cosmetic cowboys have resulted in a dramatic rise of people seeking legal action, according to a new report.

Lawyers, who have previously represented victims of NHS blunders, are now finding themselves acting for victims of botched Botox and mishandled laser treatment.

'I have seen a significant rise in complaints about botched injections of fillers and Botox,' said Edwina Rawson, a clinical negligence lawyer at Field Fisher Waterhouse.

The increased demand for legal action comes amidst renewed appeals for laws to protect clients and manage the quality of care during non-surgical beauty treatments.

Frequent complaints about procedures include lumps left by fillers and burns caused by misused lasers.

Many of those who suffer disfigurement, also suffer psychological scarring. 'The psychological effects of looking strange, misshapen or unsightly can be just as bad as the physical harm involved,' said Shoosmiths solicitor Kathryn Tuner.

'People usually find their injuries quite distressing because it involves their appearance, or they can feel embarrassed,’ she added.

Increasing amounts of people are needlessly suffering, simply because there are too many insufficiently trained practitioners.

The Independent Healthcare Advisory Services, which represents many treatment providers, is planning to introduce new rules, including a registration scheme.

However, with this rapidly expanding industry that already boasts 5,000 UK premises, carrying out 200,000 treatments a year, these new regulations cannot come quickly enough.

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