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I refer to the letter Ban major surgeries at beauty salons .

I have come across articles etc stating how Malaysians forget easily. Another death due to cosmetic surgery (ie, liposuction) will be the talk of the town for some time.

The deaths of Datin Fatimah Wan Chik in October last year and Noraini Mohd Ghazali this year are something that we all should take seriously. Many people especially women tend to go for liposuction and slimming pills to reduce their weight and fit into a smaller frame. The latter is more popular because it is cheaper than the liposuction procedure.

While some of chose to exercise and maintain a good diet to maintain their weight, others who do not have the time or the discipline tend to opt for easier solutions. As a person with some medical science knowledge, I would like to highlight the risks associated with liposuction and slimming pills.

It is important to remember that liposuction is a surgical procedure and, as such, it is not risk- free. The risks and complications of liposuction range from mild to potentially life-threatening.

Severe complications include adverse reactions to anesthesia, cardiac arrest, internal blood clots, excessive bleeding, severe drug interactions, allergic reactions to medication, permanent nerve damage, and brain damage from anesthesia.

In the case of Noraini Mohd Ghazali and according to media reports, she died due to allergic reaction to the anaesthetic shot given to her. Before undergoing such a procedure, one must go through blood tests as well as a physical one to make sure that the procedure will be safe.

A wrong shot of anaesthetic can cause possible heart or neurological side-effects. The salon that was visited by Noraini was reported to be having a liquid substance which had not been registered with the health ministry and the salon also did not have a license to operate. This is clearly against the law.

Slimming products are also an issue that we should be careful with. Recently, the health ministry cancelled the registration numbers of three slimming products because they contained a scheduled poison, Sibutramine.

This substance can lead to high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases. There are four types of diet or slimming pills according to their actions. These are appetite suppressants, fat-blockers, fat-burning and diuretics/laxatives.

Appetite depressants increase metabolism by stimulating the hypothalamus and nervous system. This will cause the heart rate and blood pressure to increase so that it can promote weight loss.

However, this can be very dangerous when the blood pressure can rise too high and lead to a heart attack. An increased heart rate leads to damage of the heart valves. Appetite depressants are also known to be addictive in some people and in men, it can cause erectile dysfunction.

Based on a research done by Paul G. Shekelle et al, ephedra (a component in some of the slimming pills) can cause adverse reactions in some consumers which include 2 to 3 times the risk of psychiatric symptoms, autonomic symptoms, upper gastrointestinal symptoms and heart palpitations.

As consumers - while we wait so long for policy changes - we have to assume a very high degree of responsibility and should not fall prey to clinics and salons operating illegally and with ‘too good to be true’ promotions. If it is too god to be true, it is!

One should get more information about the products purchased for weight control and check with the National Pharmaceutical Control Board or the health ministry. This includes when purchasing cosmetics or drugs.

Before walking into a salon and/or seeking cosmetic treatment, one must do a little bit of research and make sure that the practitioners have a valid operating license and use registered substances/drugs.

We must as much as possible avoid another loss of life due to liposuction, slimming products or any beautifying procedures. We, as consumers, must exercise our right to safe products. It is one of the universal consumer rights.

The health ministry has lax regulations on cosmetics and pharmaceuticals from registration to mere notification as an outcome of deliberations in Asean. Looks like we have to wait for adverse reactions before any unsafe drug/cosmetic is removed from the market or before severe actions are taken against unethical and irresponsible operators.

We hope the ministry’s enforcement divisions will be more aggressive in their approach to protect public against perpetrators.

The writer is attached to the Malaysian Association of Standards Users.

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