Medical Aestheticians in Nigeria have tasked the Federal Government to establish a board that will regulate the practice of aesthetic medicine in the country.
The aestheticians noted that a regulatory body for the profession would ensure standards in that field of healthcare and also control quacks whose activities are inimical to the growth of the health sector.
The professionals, under the aegis of the Association of Practitioners of Spa and Medical Aesthetics of Nigeria, APSMAN, explained that regulation was critical in guaranteeing clients’ safety, considering that the demand for aesthetic medicine has increased in the country.
Speaking at the Aesthetics Industry event recently, the President of the association, Dr. Felix Avajah, explained that laws and regulations would not only guide the industry but sanitize the system, promote client safety, and support the growth of medical aesthetics professionals.
He stressed the need to tackle quackery in the industry, saying that many quacks parading as professionals had destroyed the lives of many clients.
The aesthetician said, “We need a Board of Regulation for Aesthetic Medicine Practitioners of Nigeria to regulate the profession. We now have academic programmes; we believe in standards, professionalism, good ethics, and education. We believe so much in regulation.
“We understand that our association cannot regulate itself, which is why we partnered with government-accredited institutions to start an academic qualification that can help with regulation. Because when there is certification, there is regulation.
“So, we have started well by having standard academic programmes and procedures that can help remove quacks and, at the same time, encourage people. Instead of practising quackery and destroying lives, people can still go back to school.”
Avajah noted that aesthetic medicine has become popular because everybody wants to look beautiful. “Beauty talks,” he said, adding that “when you look beautiful, you are happy, and you live long.”
Commenting on the recent rise in aesthetic medicine in Nigeria, the Provost of Lagos State College of Health Technology, Yaba, Prof. Raheem Akewushola, noted that quality assurance was the only way to attain excellence in the industry.
Prof. Akewushola said, “The demand for the service is driven by increasing demand for non-invasive, effective, and safe treatments. To that extent, our institution, in partnership with APSMAN, is working to ensure quality aesthetic medicine service delivery in Nigeria. We ensure that we train practitioners to minimise cases of accidental treatments in aesthetic medicine.”
On his part, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of African and Diaspora Studies, University of Lagos, Dr. Akinmayowa Akin-Otiko, called for partnerships among professionals and practitioners, noting that aesthetic medicine was crucial to wellness.
He explained that wellness went beyond looking good on the outside but also had a lot to do with looking and feeling good on the inside.
“Looking good and staying healthy are fundamental aspects of wellness. Wellness is not only about appearance but also about inner health, which manifests externally,” he added.
The researcher also urged APSMAN to collaborate with traditional medicine practitioners, noting that integrating traditional medicine into aesthetic medicine would bring about more healing.
Establish aesthetic medicine regulatory board – APSMAN President urges Nigerian govt
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