Brierley said the lack of regulations around injectables and cleft dermal fillers was also concerning. <\/p>\n
“I know that there are a number of organisations, various world colleges and specialist societies [which] are trying to bring in regulation in line with government but at the moment the entire field is unregulated, he said. <\/p>\n
“There will be many excellent practitioners out there, but it will be impossible to know in advance if there is someone who isn’t following best practice.”<\/p>\n
Dr Nicola Stock is an associate professor whose work focuses on the psychological impact of appearance-altering conditions such as a cleft lip.<\/p>\n
Alongside others, she has worked on a project at the University of the West of England’s Centre for Appearance Research. They have looked into the use of dermal fillers for people with a cleft, the people who provide them, what experiences and qualifications they have, and how these fillers are being marketed to the community. <\/p>\n
Stock said research suggested adults born with a cleft still had concerns with their appearance after surgery.<\/p>\n
The research also suggested that more people born with a cleft lip were interested in aesthetics treatments like dermal filler.<\/p>\n
She believes the way filler is being marketed on social media is fuelling this steady increase of people seeking out treatment. <\/p>\n
“Within the general population, dermal filler has exploded in popularity in recent years, and it’s now one of the most common non-surgical cosmetic procedures used worldwide,” she said.<\/p>\n
“And we believe that this is being fuelled predominately by the aesthetics industry and predominately on social media.” <\/p>\n
Stock said she was worried that adults with a cleft lip, who have a complex medical history, were being “deliberately targeted” and “left vulnerable to potential harm and exploitation at the hands of the aesthetics industry”. <\/p>\n