Botched Cosmetic Procedures Can Cause Lasting Injuries

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Most people think of them as minor cosmetic procedures, but they can

have major consequences if they're not performed correctly.

Doctors who end up fixing them say the number of these cosmetic

catastrophes has increased dramatically.

A face red and infected after a chemical peel gone wrong. An arm

burned during a laser hair removal procedure. A woman's cheeks and

chin scarred from a microdermabrasion treatment.

Doctors say they've seen a nearly 50 percent increase in the number

of patients who've had complications from cosmetic procedures

performed by non-physicians.

" It's a constant, constant pain. " , who wants to remain

anonymous, had lost a lot of weight and wanted to firm up her

buttocks.

" It's a beautiful spa. She's got all these certificates up on her

wall. She was highly recommended. I asked her for her credentials,

and she basically injected what was supposedly collagen, " said .

But it wasn't. says it was industrial strength silicone, a

material not meant to be used in humans. Instead of a few droplets,

eight cupfuls were injected.

Initially, it formed bruises and was sore to the touch, but it got

progressively worse.

" I have now approximately 14 ulcers, open wounds that are extremely

painful, extremely. I'm on pain killers 24 hours a day, seven days a

week, " she said.

" Why aren't there regulations for this? It's really unconscionable, "

said Dr. Rhoda Narins, President of the American Society for

Dermatologic Surgery.

Narins says, in fact, most states have few regulations concerning

cosmetic procedures performed by non-physicians.

" These are medical procedures. They shouldn't be trivialized....You

are always taking a much bigger risk, when you're not going to

someone who is a trained and licensed professional doctor, " said

Narins.

The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery is lobbying states to

enact laws that are tougher.

Some states do not require aestheticians to be licensed. Still,

others have regulations stating that injections like Botox or

collagen, and laser procedures should be done by licensed healthcare

practitioners.

Story filed March 30, 3005