Teenagers as young as 15 are seeking help after receiving botox and fillers treatment botched, a charity has said.
Advice Direct Scotland (ADS) says it wants tighter restrictions on cosmetic surgery after receiving hundreds of complaints about the procedures.
The Scottish Government has proposed legislation that would make non-surgical treatments illegal for under-18s and require procedures to be carried out in approved settings.
ADS, which runs the customersadvice.scot website, told MSPs reviewing the proposals it had seen 430 problem cases in the past two years that left customers £192,000 out of pocket.
The charity’s submission to Holyrood’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee said: “We have received complaints about some professionals injecting dermal fillers and botox on clients as young as 15.
“We also received reports of some dealers injecting from their homes and public locations.”
Charities have warned against it Scotland is the worst country in Europe for unqualified beauticians injecting clients with cosmetic treatments.
ADS reported a case where a person underwent a £725 procedure at a beauty salon.
They were sold facial filler for areas they didn’t ask for in the first place and after the treatment they were left with severe swelling and fluid build-up under their eyes.
The practitioner claimed it was an allergic reaction and told the client to take antihistamines.
But when that failed to reduce the swelling, the person paid extra to have some of the filler dissolved.
ADS added: “Despite experiencing significant pain, investing a lot of time and paying for a procedure they were unhappy with, they found few mechanisms to hold the esthetician to account.
“The absence of a robust industry-wide complaints or redress system meant that their options were largely limited to informal resolution.”
While ADS supports the new legislation, it wants the Non-Surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Bill to be strengthened to protect consumers.
The charity also wants public awareness campaigns and guidance aimed at parents and carers to help protect young people and first-time patients affected by social media trends.
Jillian Edmund, project lead at ADS, said: “It is shocking to be contacted by people as young as 15 who need help after having botox and fillers from unscrupulous professionals.
“The Bill’s protection for under-18s is welcome and necessary. Currently, due to a lack of regulation, we are dealing with the consequences of unqualified professionals operating across Scotland.
“The proposed regulations will help address concerns by establishing a clear and enforceable framework, setting out who is eligible to perform such procedures and under what conditions.”
Last month Consumer Scotland also called for stronger safeguards in legislation.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “It is vital that we see safe standards in this industry, which is why we have proposed legislation to regulate this sector, which includes an offense of providing non-surgical procedures to under-18s.
“Our aim is to ensure that strong and proportionate regulation is in place so that anyone who chooses to undergo non-surgical procedures can do so safely.”
