A leading doctor has warned against the dangers of 'pumping parties', the latest US trend that sees women administered with illegal silicone injections by unqualified practitioners in the comfort of their own home.
Talking at the American College of Chest Physicians' annual meeting today, Dr. Malcolm Z Roth warned that women are putting their lives at risk. He went on to point out that many women are not made aware of the potential fatal side effects of the illegal silicone substance, which is commonly used by rogue practitioners because of its low cost.
"We've been hearing about this. There are 'Pumping Parties' involving high-volume injections to fill up the face, lips, cheekbones, chin or breast," said Dr Roth. "Often it's buttock enhancement and often it's not sterile."
Health experts believe that the rise in budget Botox parties is because of the credit crunch, with women opting for the cheaper procedures, with the added bonus of drinking champagne in the comfort of a friend's home, rather than being alone in a sterile clinic.
But Dr. Roth warns that those who indulge in cheap Botox may end up paying a high price with their health.
"It's really a white-coat deception. Sometimes the person doing the injections claims to be a physician from another country and in some cases the patient knows very well it's not a physician but, feeling they can't afford to go to a legitimate board-certified plastic surgeon, they find a short cut."
Another health specialist who also spoke out about the 'Pumping Parties' was Dr. Angel Coz, who explained the life-threatening women are choosing to ignore. "There are two types of side effects that can result from silicone injections. Lungs is one of them. The other goes to the brain. The mortality in lungs is close to 20 percent but in the brain it's close to 100 per cent."
Dr. Angel's comments followed three real life case studies of patients who had been admitted to hospital with serious side effects of the silicone injection. This includes a fatality after a woman died after having Botox injected into her buttocks.
But 'pumping parties' are not just a threat to US women. 'Botox Parties', as they're known in the UK, emerged on the scene in early 2002. Although they initially took place in clinics with certified Botox specialists, there have since been cases of poorly qualified nurses and medical staff advertising illegal Botox injections to drunken customers on eBay. Not to mention countless advertisements springing up in high-street hairdressers, beauty salons and dentists around the country.
In a recent episode of reality TV show, The Only Way Is Essex the cast enjoyed a Botox party with no mention of the possible side effects or safety procedures involved. Is this sending out the wrong message to women who may not be aware of the difference between legitimate and illegal practices?
Surprisingly in 2010, the Government ruled against a move to make Botox a mandatory regulation and opted for a voluntary scheme instead, despite experts urging them to change the rules for years. This means that nurses, doctors and dentists who've had extra Botox training on the side will be rewarded a quality mark, but it would be up to the customer to check whether they are using a practitioner with a quality mark.
In contrast, a treatment that does come under the statutory regulation is light laser treatment, used for hair removal. So with injectable procedures being deemed less dangerous than laser treatments, which burn layers of skin, is it a surprise that the number of illegal practitioners are increasing?