Health officials yesterday issued a warning about the hazards of low-quality chemicals used in cosmetic surgery. The state news agency WAM reported that hospitals, pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies have been ordered to stop buying or selling drugs used in plastic surgery procedures unless they have been officially registered with the Ministry of Health. Dr Amin al Amiri, the executive director of medical practices, said: "The ministry received warnings from international specialised scientific bodies against hazards of some plastic surgery materials that do not meet the safety and quality requirements.
"These materials which are of unknown origin have been proved to have side-effects." Dr al Amiri said some pharmaceutical companies had already held workshops with doctors who perform anti-wrinkle treatments to highlight the issue. As part of this treatment a drug is injected into the patient's skin that relaxes the muscles around the affected area and stops wrinkles. rruiz@thenational.ae
