To be allowed to apply fillers, you must be a basic doctor and preferably also have completed a two-year training course as a cosmetic doctor. But it can also be done faster: Brabant clinics provide their own ‘training’ in applying fillers, including a self-made certificate. ‘No compulsory previous education is required for this course.’
About twenty clinics in our province perform cosmetic procedures while their staff is not trained for this, or is not even allowed to do so by law, Omroep Brabant discovered. Starting your own clinic turns out to be easy, thanks to non-certified businesses that train future colleagues themselves. One of them even wrongly claims to be a ‘recognized training institution’.
Videos on social media
In her own clinic Lanette Clinics, ‘Lanette’ (she does not work under her real name) places fillers and other injectables. She teaches others to do this under the name Lanette Medical. Videos on social media show Lanette handling the syringe for onlooking students. Afterwards they receive a self-made certificate.
Because of the word ‘medical’ in the name, you would expect that the founder and course leader has a medical education, but she is not a BIG-registered doctor and cannot call herself a cosmetic doctor. She does not expect that from her students: working as a beautician is the only requirement, as can be read on the site.
Mesogun for sale
The Tilburg entrepreneur is not the only one who combines a clinic with ‘training’. The clinic De Huidspecialisten in Valkenswaard is also working under the name Huidspecialist Opleidingen.
Both clinics use syringes with a mesogun, a device in which a needle must be placed. To use the gun, a BIG registration has been required for a year, but just like in Tilburg, this does not seem to be a requirement to follow the training in Valkenswaard: ‘No compulsory previous training is required for this course’.
Students can shop immediately, because the mesoguns are sold in Lason, the special online store of De Huidspecialist. It is called a ‘wholesaler’ online, but anyone who wants can order there.
Register of vocational education
Skin Specialist Training also claims to be registered on the site in the Central Register for Short Vocational Education (CRKBO). They would therefore comply with the ‘Quality Code for training institutions for Short Vocational Education’.
The CRKBO states that they are not aware of Skin Specialist Training. After questions from Omroep Brabant, the text in question was removed from the website.
Enforcement
The Dutch Association of Cosmetic Medicine (NVCG) is critical of this type of training. “Such a course is not enough to demonstrate that you are competent. That is a two-year training course to become a cosmetic doctor,” said spokesperson Marguerite van Randwijck.
David Mosmuller, cosmetic ats and director of the Doctors at Soap clinic, is shocked by this type of training where a BIG listing is not a requirement. “Enforcement is a problem. It turns out that it is not enough that it is punishable. I find that shocking.” Although he understands that the inspection cannot work magic: “The inspection cannot possibly be aware of everything. On the other hand: if you can find these courses, the inspectorate can too.”
Comments
Lanette Medical did not respond to questions from Omroep Brabant. Skin Specialist Training indicates that it will adjust the website to make it clear that a BIG listing is mandatory for students. This has not happened yet. The company does not want to provide the name or BIG number of the person who provides the courses.
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