Health professionals crack down on beauty salons

THINKING of getting a vitamin drip or injectable treatment at your local salon? Think again, the short cuts that salons offer may prove to be a risky gamble with your health.

The Health Professions Authority of Zimbabwe (HPA) has raised the red flag, cautioning that some beauty and wellness facilities could be providing these services through untrained personnel. Such risky procedures can lead to severe health complications.

Intravenous drips and injectables are not to be taken lightly; they are serious medical procedures that deliver fluids, medications, vitamins, and nutrients directly into your bloodstream. In the wrong hands, misadministration can be detrimental to your health.

Unfortunately, beauty and wellness facilities have been observed offering beauty enhancements, services, and skin treatments through procedures that are beyond their scope of operation, such as infusions. This is done by non-medical professionals, posing a serious threat to the health sector.

The Health Professions Act prohibits non-medical personnel from performing procedures that require the expertise of registered medical professionals.

As the mandated body to safeguard public health, HPA urges people to only seek medical advice and treatment from registered health professionals and institutions.

Such professionals and institutions are identifiable by possessing a valid practising certificate from the practitioner’s respective council and an HPA licence.

HPA is working closely with the police to bring the culprits to book and is currently closing down facilities that carry out medical procedures meant to be done by registered medical professionals.

“Health Professions Authority Zimbabwe has noted with concern that beauty and wellness facilities are offering beauty enhancements, services and skin treatments using procedures that are beyond their scope of operation such as intravenous drips and infusions.

“Intravenous drips and infusions are being administered by non-medical professionals which poses a serious threat in the health sector. The Health Professions Act (Chapter 27:19) section 126 prohibits non-medical personnel from performing any act especially pertaining to a registered profession.

“Currently in conjunction with the police, HPA is closing facilities where non-medical personnel are carrying out procedures meant to be done by registered medical professionals while the responsible individuals will face the wrath of the law,” said the HPA.

Even beauty and wellness facilities operating in affluent suburbs should adhere to medical regulatory standards, such as providing trained personnel to administer intravenous drips and infusions.

One such facility uses enticing language, claiming that its intravenous drip procedure guarantees 100 percent absorption of essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, making them readily available to the body.

“Do you want to glow naturally and from within? Well, it is possible for your body to get all the required vitamins, minerals and nutrients, which are key to a healthy body, glowing skin, strong hair and nails through the best IV drip.

“Our IV drip procedure delivers these essential vitamins and nutrients directly into the bloodstream. Through IV drip for glowing skin, vitamins bypass the digestive system and are delivered directly to the cells that need them, making nutrients readily available to the body.

“This guarantees 100 percent absorption and quicker and effective results,” claims the facility.

However, it fails to guarantee trained personnel to administer the infusion safely.