Cosmetic procedures now available on the high street

Roger Stevens Aberdeen

Cosmetic procedures are now available in the British high street chemist, Boots, which launched the services on a trial basis in four stores recently--two in London (Kensington and Oxford Street), Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, and Manchester. The procedures available are for facial rejuvenation--Botox injection of forehead frown lines and crow's feet (from £200) and injections of hyaluronic acid for lip enhancement (from £230) and facial contouring (from £180).

Botox is the brand name for botulinum toxin A--a neurotoxin produced by Clostridium botulinum, which is responsible for botulism, a fatal form of food poisoning associated with vomiting and muscle paralysis. After direct injection into the wrinkles, botulinum toxin inhibits the release of acetylcholine, thereby blocking neurotransmission and paralysing the underlying facial muscle to smooth the wrinkles. Botox treatment has gained popularity in both Hollywood and the United Kingdom and famous people such as Sir Cliff Richard have admitted to benefiting from its use. The effects of Botox are temporary, lasting about three months, and so the injections would need to be repeated.

AP PHOTO/DAMIAN DOVARGANES
A woman in her early thirties is willingly injected with botox, a muscle paralysing neurotoxin

Although only small amounts are used for cosmetic purposes, the side effects of Botox are temporary and include ptosis of the eyelid and facial paralysis. Steve Boothroyd of Boots, however, reassured the public that the Botox injections would be administered only by doctors who are qualified general practitioners with at least nine years of experience in using Botox.

Professionals have, however, criticised the use of Botox on the high street and believe that such treatments should be confined to hospital. Mr Clive Orton, president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, stated: "I think it is stepping beyond the line of beauty treatments into a medical area that I have severe doubts it should be involved in."

More details at www.wellbeing.com/magazine/index.jsp?contentId=1957.



studentBMJ 2002;10:215-258 July ISSN 0966-6494