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To check the proliferation of quacks and unsafe practices in the beauty industry, the President of the Nigerian Association of Dermatologists, Prof. Dasetima Altraide, has emphasised the need for the enactment and enforcement of cosmetic laws and regulations.
He decried the surge in the number of unlicensed practitioners in the country, stating that it had led to an increase in several cases of skin complications and botched procedures.
The don asserted that if the issue persisted, many Nigerians were at risk of “complications from the use of bleaching creams and soaps such as stretch marks, fungal infections, bacterial infections, the transmission of Human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis viruses, botched procedures, burns, and scars.”
The absence of enforcement of cosmetic laws and regulations, the dermatologist said, has also accommodated the presence of unlicensed foreigners, who train unsuspecting Nigerians, charge them in dollars and issue them with certificates.
Altraide, in an exclusive interview with PUNCH Healthwise, said, “Cosmetic laws and regulations should be put in place and enforced. There is an astronomical rise in spas, beauty parlours, skin care therapists and aestheticians who are inexperienced and licensed.
“We also see some foreigners come into the country without a license, train people, charge high fees in USD and issue certificates but you as a Nigerian cannot do that in their country.
“They open skin clinics and offer the wrong treatments to patients. They also organise pop-up clinics and beauty fairs, do sponsored advertisements showcasing their skills on social media and many people fall prey to them.”
PUNCH Healthwise reports that the increasing popularity of multiple piercings on the ear pinna, nose, tongue, belly button, and other body parts, along with tattoos, has resulted in a surge of local and roadside beauty shops.
This rise has created concerns about the safety of the equipment and procedures, the unhygienic practices involved and the lack of regulation in the industry.
According to an American health blog, Mayo Clinic, piercings, if done with equipment with infected blood, could lead to diseases that are spread through blood, including hepatitis B, C, and tetanus.
Other risks include allergic reactions, skin infections, and other skin problems such as keloids.
According to the National AIDS, Hepatitis, and STIs Control Programme under the Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria accounts for 8.3 per cent of the global burden of chronic Hepatitis B and 4.5 per cent of Hepatitis C virus infections.
Yet, most Nigerians are ignorant of their status and would only present to the hospital at the stage that could indicate significant liver damage.
PUNCH Healthwise earlier reported how unregulated beauty parlours in the country were fuelling the rise in the transmission of Hepatitis B and HIV.
Hepatologists, who voiced their concerns in the report, asserted the need for the regulation of beauty parlours.
Checks by PUNCH Healthwise showed that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control Act, Cosmetic Products Regulation, 2023, governed the manufacture, importation, exportation, advertisement, distribution, sale, and use of cosmetic products in the country.
However, an online search on how to obtain a cosmetology license in Nigeria revealed that the only requirement is enrollment in a cosmetology program accredited by the National Board for Technical Education.
Further investigations into the body responsible for regulating, monitoring and enforcing the practices and activities of cosmetologists revealed non-governmental groups such as the Nigerian Association of Hairstylists and Cosmetologists and the National Association of Hair and Beauty Practitioners of Nigeria.
Continuing, the NAD president stated that the unregulated activities of the unlicensed practitioners consequently lead to an increase in skin complications being recorded at the dermatology clinics.
Altraide said, “They carry out procedures such as chemical peels, Botulinum toxin injections, dermal fillers, micro needling, Platelet plasma and even laser therapy which they do not know the principles of these procedures and what we see in our dermatology clinics is an increase in complications to the skin, botched procedures and complications from patronising unlicensed spas and beauty parlours. There was a case of a high-profile lady in our society who had a burn complication from visiting a skin care therapist.
“Recently, In the United States of America, there was a reported case of three women who contracted HIV after getting ‘vampire facial’ at a spa.”
Speaking on the implications of the unregulated beauty industry, the NAD president noted, “There is so much uncertainty surrounding the standard of care, techniques used and training of the practitioner which can make these procedures done by an unlicensed individual a tremendous gamble that can have bad results.”
The don frowned at the activities of self-acclaimed dermatologists who had no medical training and were not certified as dermatologists.
“Dermatologists are medical doctors who treat more than 3,000 skin, hair and nail conditions and carry out procedures such as Chemical peels, Electrocautery, Patch testing, intralesional injections, mesotherapy, microdermabrasion, microneedling, LED therapy, Dermal fillers, Botulinum toxin injections, Radiofrequency, Laser hair removal, Tattoo reduction, Laser resurfacing, PDO threads, Punch biopsies, Shave biopsies and other dermatological surgical procedures,” he said.
The Consultant Physician and Dermatologist at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State, advised Nigerians to thoroughly research and ask questions about the background, certifications and training of their beauty provider.
“They should go to a licensed aesthetician to do facials or other mild treatments within their scope of practice but refer clients to a dermatologist for cases that are not within their scope of practice,” he recommended.
Altraide also called for proper education and awareness, urging Nigerians to check the NAD website for the database of all Dermatologists in the country to ensure their beauty and skincare needs were attended to by licensed professionals.
