Government officials said they would authorize non-physicians, such as nurses and other professionals, to conduct cosmetic procedures like botulinum toxins (BTX) and fillers, citing the examples of North America and Europe.

However, North Americans and Europeans inject BTX and fillers quite shallowly and in very small amounts mainly for treating fine lines and wrinkles, not expecting big differences. They treat it like a procedure by dermatologists.

In contrast, Northeast Asians, including Koreans, use fillers almost as a substitute for surgery. Koreans, for instance, use fillers like facial contouring, rhinoplasty, and implants, whether to lift the nose, raise the forehead, protrude the chin, or protrude the hollows under the eyes.

In other words, compared to North America and Europe, Korean BTX and filler treatments are so invasive that they inevitably lead to problems, including skin necrosis and blindness due to blood vessel obstruction, when performed by unskilled practitioners. Also, contrary to the government's claims, Botox and filler injections are not uncontrolled and highly regulated in other developed countries.

The government and the public think that BTX and filler treatments are simple and easy, which means that Korean dermatologists have high academic levels and skills, which explains why foreign doctors often come to Korea to learn the techniques of Korean dermatologists.

Against this backdrop, administering BTX and dermal fillers by professionals other than medical doctors will only increases the likelihood of serious medical accidents. A difference of just 0.5 mm in the needle of a syringe and 0.01 cc of filler can cause a huge vascular accident. Non-physicians are not expected to master the anatomy of the face, such as the blood vessels and nerve structures, or know how to anesthetize a patient safely with local anesthetic injections.

Realistically, people can't get those skills with short training instead of a national licensing exam. When dermatologists perform filler injections, they do so by sensitively avoiding blood vessels and nerves that don't even show up on a CT or MRI. This comes from basic anatomy in medical school, residency, and continued learning and experience after becoming a specialist.

In conclusion, if you think about it rationally, the government's announcement is nothing more than an attempt to tear down the very foundations of healthcare and healthcare law and create a medical order that is in shambles.

Moreover, it is an irrational and unscientific argument to expose the entire population to illegal botulinum toxin injections that will leave patients in pain for the rest of their lives, as fillers injected into blood vessels will cause skin necrosis, cerebral infarction, and blindness, and BTX injections will cause serious side effects, such as facial nerve and muscle paralysis.

I would like to formally offer public filler treatments to the Office of the President and the Ministry of Health and Welfare officials who might have formulated this policy. If they or their family members are interested, please apply at 79docdoc79@gmail.com or via KakaoTalk ID kirof, and I will schedule a date as soon as possible.

I hope these public servants will get a filler treatment for their noses, chins, cheekbones, nasolabial folds, foreheads, or any other area of their choice by Korean dermatologists, some of the best injectors of filler BTX in the world. I hope these officials will see the dramatic “before and after effects” and think twice about whether or not they want to get such invasive, difficult, and dangerous procedures from people other than dermatology specialists.

I sincerely wish the government would carefully implement a rational and scientific policy.

This article does not represent the official position of the organization to which the author belongs. -- Ed.