So, you’re thinking about getting a cosmetic treatment done. Whether it’s anti-wrinkle injections for treating lines and wrinkles, fillers, chemical peels or laser hair removal (or any other aesthetic treatment for that matter), you’ve probably been doing tonnes of research. I totally get it - I do the same. If someone is going to be injecting your face or putting chemicals on your skin, you want to know they’re half decent, right? So, how do we ensure that only safe, trusted practitioners are listed on Glowday? Well, we do rigorous checks to make sure no stone is left unturned! Here’s how we keep you in the safest hands…
We check medical pins and ID, and we need proof of medical documents and certificates
Before a practitioner is accepted onto Glowday, we check several key things. Why? Well, our main aim is to keep you safe. You see, we only let doctors, dentists, nurses and pharmacist prescribers in. And we’re really strict too! A practitioner can’t just say they’re a medic. We need proof! So, when a practitioner asks to join Glowday, we ask for their medical registration pin and expiry date, and we check it against the relevant medical bodies (such as the NMC, GDC and GMC).
There are too many horror stories out there about ‘aesthetic practitioners’ who have put their clients in danger or been responsible for botched jobs (you’ve all seen the duck lips, sausage lips, trout pouts, pillow faces…). Before we’ll let a practitioner onto Glowday, we need to know that if something were to go wrong during a treatment, they’ll be able to look after you. Basically, if their pin’s not on the list, they’re not coming in!
And if they’re on Glowday and they get struck off their medical register? We take them straight off. We automatically check each practitioner every few days so we can stay on top of what’s what.
It’s not enough for us to have their medical pins, either. We also want to see their medical and training certificates so we can ascertain that each and every practitioner meets a certain standard. No beauticians or basement injectors here! And we check their photo ID to make sure they are who they say they are. So, if we’re given a form of ID that shows a different name to the one provided on their pin and certificates, we won’t be accepting that practitioner onto the platform.
We need prescriber details
Many nurses are fully fledged prescribers, which means that they go on courses that last around 9 months to become qualified and legally able to prescribe medication. In the case of aesthetics, this is super important (and I don’t want to bang on about the negatives but they’re important to be aware of, so bear with me!). Let’s take fillers, for example. If fillers (which can, currently - and scarily, be bought by anyone) are injected into a blood vessel, or a bad reaction occurs after the treatment, you may need to be injected with a substance called hyaluronidase. This substance is used to dissolve filler, but it can only be used if someone has prescribed it in the first place. In a post-treatment situation where a patient needs urgent attention, hyaluronidase needs to be prescribed and delivered quickly.
Botulinum toxin (which is used in anti-wrinkle treatment) is a prescription-only medicine too, so it’s important we know who will be prescribing it, as well as delivering it. If a nurse has become a prescriber, we know from their NMC pin. If they rely on someone else to prescribe for them, we need to know who that person is.
We want proof of insurance
Yes, first and foremost, we need to know that practitioners are medically qualified, but we also need to know that they are insured. It’s a must! Having adequate insurance demonstrates a clinic’s responsibility towards you, so, we always ask to see who their insurance provider is, their policy details and expiry date. After all, you want to know you’re protected if a treatment does (and it’s pretty unlikely but not impossible with a medically qualified practitioner) go wrong.
We look at registers
If a practitioner wants to join our platform, we ask to see if they are on the following registers, which show that the practitioner is conducting a certain level of care and safety.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) register. The CQC checks and regulates aestheticians and their clinics, ensuring that they meet the necessary standards required to safely perform certain treatments. If a clinic is registered by the CQC, they are then published on the CQC site, and rated.
We take a look at Health Improvement Scotland (HIS) and Health Inspectorate Wales (HIW) registrations too, to see which of the Scottish and Welsh practitioners, or clinics, comply with the level of safety required of a medical practitioner who isn’t part of a hospital.
The Aesthetics Complications Expert group (ACE) is another register that many practitioners join, as not only does it help improve patient safety, but it is also a space for practitioners to learn and gain help and advice from peers.
These registers aren’t mandatory for aesthetic practitioners, but some go that extra mile to provide evidence of their commitment to client safety. By being on one or more of the registers listed above, it is clear that they take their role and their patients’ safety seriously, and that they want to continue improving their skills and knowledge.
We allow clients to leave reviews
I don’t know about you but I’m a massive fan of online reviews. It doesn’t matter whether I’m booking a hotel, buying new makeup or thinking about watching a film, I’ll check the reviews first. That way, I can see how other people found it. If there are so many bad reviews, all saying the same thing, I’ll avoid it like the plague. But if the reviews are glowing, I’ll go with it.
Everyone who books a cosmetic treatment with a Glowday listed practitioner will have the opportunity to add a genuine, verified review after their treatment. No bought reviews. No reviews written by family or friends. This means you’ll be able to go on and check out not only your practitioner’s qualifications, experience and photos, but also their reviews. This way, you’ll get a great idea of what to expect before you book.
Ready to get glowing? Check out the tonnes of amazing, medically qualified practitioners in your area now.