Almost half of Spaniards underwent aesthetic medicine surgery last year. This is indicated by the Spanish Society of Aesthetic Medicine (SEED), which highlights that 65% of medical-aesthetic treatments are performed by unqualified professionals. EL PAÍS consulted four experts in aesthetic medicine to reveal the treatments and practices they would never undergo: from viral trends such as ‘Russian lipsor “Botox party” to procedures in clandestine centers.
Treatments that radically change the face
Sergio Fernández, second vice president of Spanish Society of Aesthetic Medicine (SEME), Nothing would be done to “transform” him: “I would flee from large volumes or from any procedure that would change my appearance in a transcendental way.” For him it is essential to recognize himself in the mirror. “If our image is altered too much, our essence is also altered,” he says. Treatments that attempt to imitate the effect of the social media filter or reproduce the features of a famous person are also inadvisable. Beatriz Moralejoexpert in aesthetic medicine, maxillofacial aesthetic surgery and promoter of Croma: “Facial plastic surgery and aesthetic medicine must enhance individual beauty and not unify faces”.
For Inmaculada Mourelle González-Redondoanesthetist expert in aesthetic medicine at the BeautyYou clinic, it is essential to know how to discern when a patient has a dysmorphophobia (a disorder in which one worries excessively about a minor or imagined flaw). In these cases the doctor must “have the honesty and ethics to tell her yes and no and not let her enter into a dynamic that ends up transforming her physical appearance”.
Infiltration with non-absorbable materials
Mourelle is clear: she would never get permanent implants. Refers to methacrylates and non-absorbable products. “I would never do it, after all, because the face goes through an evolutionary process of deterioration, of aging, and the implant remains exactly as you placed it that day. There may come a time when it becomes a grotesque foreign body in the face or in the place where you implanted it.”
It is important that aesthetic treatments are based on scientific evidence. “It seems very obvious, but as a surgeon I daily receive patients infiltrated in unqualified centers with non-absorbable materials or biopolymers,” explains Moralejo. Early 2025 The Guardia Civil dismantled a criminal organization who imported, stored and distributed aesthetic medicine drugs and illegal health products. In the operation, 24 clinics and clandestine premises were inspected in Cadiz, Madrid, Málaga, Córdoba, Seville and Alicante. In this context, Moralejo emphasizes the importance of avoiding materials that can cause local and systemic complications, such as deformity of the area, reactions to foreign bodies, infections or pain.
‘Russian lips’ and other fads
The experts consulted would not undergo treatments that follow passing fads. Moralejo mentions the Russian lipsa lip-filling technique that uses hyaluronic acid: “Not only do they significantly alter the anatomy of the lips, but they also increase vascular risk, giving an artificial shape that will go out of fashion.” Fernández refers to another “somewhat absurd and unpleasant” trend. It consists of injecting hyaluronic acid to simulate a thickening of the orbicularis oculi muscle, which surrounds it, because it is believed to make the gaze more sensual.
Mourelle does not recommend treatments that do not guarantee a natural result. Avoid applying neuromodulators only to your forehead as this can cause your eyebrows to droop and make your eye appear smaller. He also refuses tension threads to lift the face when he believes that this procedure is not suitable for the patient’s face and refuses to perform excessive augmentations of the lips, especially when they are already beautiful or when a greater volume would not be more aesthetic.
Non-certified medical centers
According to SEME, 20% of medical-aesthetic treatments are performed in unregulated places, such as centers without accreditation, hairdressers or homes. “The law in Spain is clear: only a doctor can perform aesthetic medicine treatments. There is no discussion,” explains Fernández. SEME warns that adverse effects in medical-aesthetic treatments have increased by 18% due to increased intrusion. Among the most serious are blindness, stroke and permanent scarring. An example of these risks is the case of a woman who had to be admitted to intensive care after receiving a ‘pirate’ Botox treatment. in an apartment in Zaragoza.
Leo Cerrudexpert in aesthetic medicine with a clinic in Madrid and Panama, advises you to check that the professional you go to is a doctor with a diploma or degree: “You can look for the registration number and check that he is registered in the register State registry of health workers (REPS).” You can also search for it in the central register of doctors registered with the General Council of Official Medical Schools (CGCOM).
Likewise, Fernández believes it is important the center has the U.48 treatment unit. “This unit regulates the practice of aesthetic medicine. If the center doesn’t have it, run away,” he advises. Mourelle recommends asking the clinic directly if it has this accreditation and asking the doctor to certify his qualification. Doing these checks is important to avoid risks. In 2024, two women posing as healthcare workers performed illegal beauty treatments in Madrid They were arrested after being reported by a victim who suffered serious facial injuries.
Centers that do not ask for medical history or medications
Fernández advises to be wary of those centers that offer treatments without first having collected the patient’s medical history. “If we are not asked about our personal history or medications in the initial assessment, essential aspects to provide good treatment and minimize risks are omitted,” adds Moralejo. As Cerrud points out, a good doctor informs you about the risks, alternatives and possible results of any treatment.
Buy treatments from advertisements
The patient has to flee from the clinics where the treatment is “sold” by a salesman. Moralejo indicates this, underlining that surgery or aesthetic medicine treatment must be diagnosed and recommended by a doctor, and in no case by a seller whose only incentive is economic. A good sign is that the professional knows how to say “no” to certain treatments if he believes they are not suitable for the patient. Cerrud also advises you to be wary of exorbitant prices, offers, “two for one” promotions and treatments linked to multiple “mandatory” sessions.
An aesthetic clinic in Coslada dismantled by the National Police that offered the “cheapest” Botox and hyaluronic acid had expired vials and were stored without the necessary safety measures. “I always tell patients that cheap is expensive,” Moralejo says. When a treatment is much cheaper in one place than in another, it is usually for several reasons: “The center does not meet the requirements, the staff is not qualified and the product used is of low quality.”
‘Miracle’ or unproven cures
Moralejo would never undergo “miracle” treatments. He defends that aesthetic medicine and plastic surgery must be based on scientific evidence and professional ethics: “If this were not the case, we would treat our patients not to improve the quality of their life or skin, but for economic criteria.” He advises not to get carried away by the marketing. «We find the best guarantee of results in the specialist and not in what we see on social networks», he assures. Some studies highlight the importance of professionals talk with patients to distinguish between realistic outcomes and unattainable goals.
Starting treatments too early
The SEED has registered an increase in young people undergoing beauty treatments. 20% of patients are between 16 and 25 years old, while the 25 to 34 and 35 to 45 year old groups each represent 21%. Finally, 38% correspond to people over 45 years old. «You can approach aesthetic medicine for two reasons: to eliminate the signs of aging, starting from around 35 years old, so to speak, or to beautify yourself, starting from 18 years old», explains Cerrud. What you should never do, according to the expert, is “start too early and with an excess of material”: “Too early and too much product can have undesirable consequences in the future”.
Moralejo believes that any injectable aesthetic medicine or facial plastic surgery treatment should be performed starting from the age of 18 or when facial development is complete. In particular cases, treatments have been carried out from the age of 16 if the pathology or defect requires it. Of course, always request written permission from both parents and the patient and carefully evaluate their psychological maturity and motivations.
According to a study, seeing selfies on social media is a key factor influencing the decision to undergo cosmetic surgery Inresearch published in the scientific journal PLoS One. The authors point out that this influence occurs through comparison with other people and dissatisfaction with one’s body image. Therefore, they advise parents to guide girls to develop a positive body image.
Treatments shortly before an event
“Although we all want to look beautiful at public events such as weddings, baptisms or communions, it is important that the patient understands that, in most cases, treatments must be carried out at least one month in advance,” explains Moralejo. Mourelle explains that, with some exceptions, stabilization of the treatment usually takes from a month to a month and a half. “I have stopped giving treatments to people who request it a week in advance because there is not even time to see the result and you may be in the middle of the inflammatory process. Instead of getting better, you will get worse,” he explains.
Attend a “botox party”
THE botox parties (Botox parts) are meetings in which Botox injections are performed in private homes or in non-certified centers. “They’re much more common than we think,” says Fernández. Moralejo warns that these practices represent “a serious risk for the patient, since the person performing the surgery is not a doctor and does not have anatomical training, general medical knowledge and preparation to deal with possible complications.” Furthermore, if the infiltrations are carried out outside a healthcare environment, without respecting the minimum standards of asepsis and in a recreational context where those applying the treatment could be under the influence of some substance, the risk becomes “a real time bomb”.
