Ugly procedures for more beauty
17 February 2025
Imagine you booked a face-lift with a private, non-licensed "doctor". Before the procedure, he informs you that the surgery would take place in a rented flat. As the setup looks increasingly shady, would you back out of the plan?
A Viennese woman did not, getting her face lifted nevertheless. And she paid a high price: after complications arose during the procedure, an ambulance had to pick up the woman, who was in mortal danger at that point.
Illegal cosmetic surgeries have become a problem across Europe. In the UK, around 68% of all cosmetic surgeries were performed by unlicensed doctors in 2023. In Moldova, an illegal plastic surgery department in a public hospital was exposed.
 | Theresa Adelmann Even though there is a European standard for cosmetic surgeries set by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN), regulations for aesthetic procedures vary greatly across Europe. While Finland requires a prescription for botox and a (specialised) doctor to administer it, in Norway, anyone working in the health sector can carry out the procedure. How is this possible? Committing to the standard is voluntary for the countries, making it a toothless tiger. |
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