Unregulated dermal filler procedures are posing a serious threat to health, according to the Irish College of Aesthetic Medicine (ICAM), which has urged the Government to tighten regulations.<\/p>\n
Dermal fillers \u2013 injectable gels usually made from hyaluronic acid \u2013 are used to smooth wrinkles and add volume to a person\u2019s skin or lips. They can be legally administered in Ireland without a professional qualification.<\/p>\n
However, Dr Caitr\u00edona Kieran, ICAM\u2019s vice-president, said the fillers were regulated as medical devices and should be used by an appropriately trained individual. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut there is no definition currently in Irish legislation as to who that appropriately trained individual is,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
There was \u201cnothing to stop\u201d a person buying filler online, advertising their services on social media and starting to inject people, she explained. <\/p>\n
Kieran has had to carry out corrective procedures on people, including teenagers, who had filler injected by untrained people. Often, this \u201cjust looks unsightly\u201d but it can also cause serious medical issues<\/a>. <\/p>\n Some people develop a vascular occlusion \u2013 when a blood vessel is blocked, restricting oxygen flow to the area \u2013 which can cause permanent scarring or serious health complications.<\/p>\n Kieran said one woman came to her clinic to have filler dissolved above her eyebrows. During the consultation, the woman said her eye \u201cfelt funny\u201d and that she saw dark spots for a while after being injected.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is an exceptionally high-risk area to inject and she was very fortunate it did not lead to blindness,\u201d Kieran said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe probably don\u2019t have a year before something very serious could happen, like the case of Alice Webb in the UK.\u201d<\/p>\n Webb (33) died in 2024 in Gloucester shortly after dermal fillers were injected.<\/p>\n The longer it takes to enact legislative changes,Kieran said, the \u201cmore likely\u201d it is someone in Ireland will die in similar circumstances. <\/p>\n \u201cDo we have to wait for someone to die or be permanently disfigured before we see this legislation coming through?\u201d<\/p>\n Kieran, an experienced dentist, said that when legislation regulating teeth whitening was introduced in Ireland in 2012, \u201cit significantly reduced the amount of people doing it on black market\u201d.<\/p>\n The programme for government includes a commitment to examine the administration of dermal fillers and ensure they are only administered by trained healthcare professionals.<\/p>\n [\u00a0\u2018I couldn\u2019t open my eye\u2019: the dangers of unlicensed Botox procedures in IrelandOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n As part of this process, the Health Research Board<\/a> has been tasked with carrying out a review into their administration.<\/p>\n