Legitimate practitioners say the country has developed some of the worlds leading aesthetic injectors, with highly trained doctors delivering safe, regulated treatments. However, alongside that success has come a wave of unregistered individuals offering fillers, toxins and so called stem cell procedures without proper qualifications or oversight. Medical experts warn that injecting patients without being registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) is illegal and can amount to assault, fraud or impersonating a medical practitioner.
The risks, they say, are significant and include infection, tissue damage, blindness and even death. Doctors stress that demanding large upfront payments is a major red flag.Under HPCSA rules, medical practitioners may not charge for procedures that have not been performed. If upfront payments are made and treatment is not carried out, patients are entitled to a prompt refund.
“Any legitimate doctor should be willing to provide their HPCSA registration number,” said Dr Ishmael Mohammad. “If someone reacts emotionally or refuses when asked for their registration details, that should immediately raise concern.” Industry insiders argue that advertising restrictions on doctors including limits on publishing prices may unintentionally create confusion among consumers. While some patients interpret price on application as meaning treatments are unaffordable, experts say illegal injectors are in fact advertising procedures at inflated prices of up to R30 000 per session, several times more than what many compliant doctors charge.
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There are also concerns about the use of artificial intelligence and photo editing applications to mislead patients. Fraudulent providers have allegedly altered after images to create unrealistic, flawless results. Medical professionals caution that genuine injectable procedures typically result in temporary swelling, bruising and needle marks, not airbrushed perfection.
The sourcing of products is another serious worry. Registered doctors must provide HPCSA details to authorised suppliers when purchasing fillers and toxins. This raises questions about where illegal injectors obtain their stock and whether counterfeit or improperly stored substances are being injected into patients.
Some operators are reportedly charging less than the cost price of legitimate products while still turning a profit. “What are they actually injecting?” asked one concerned practitioner.
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