Need cosmetic work done? Make sure the doctor is licensed

Researching that doctor is licensed essential for quality cosmetic work

HOUSTON - – Daria Sinyagovskaya recalls the results of a visit to a beauty professional for what she had hoped would be a rejuvenating treatment.

"I had lesions even on my eyelids,” she said.

Sinyagovskaya says the facility was recommended by a relative and her researched revealed it was affiliated with licensed specialists.

“When I went to the office she (the specialist) was wearing scrubs. She was very nice, and she convinced me to do a chemical peel,” Sinyagovskaya added.

But state records later showed the specialist was only licensed to perform the procedure six months after Sinyagovskaya's treatment.

“Behind the lab coat and behind the scrubs you have a person that had very little formal training in working on people's skin,” Sinyagovskaya’s attorney Louiza Tarassova warned.

In Texas, a license is required to perform cosmetic procedures. An aesthetician may perform what's known as a peel or exfoliation. That's where dead cells are removed from the skin. They may also perform light or superficial peels which are non-invasive. Medium and deep peels which penetrate the tissue must be performed by a doctor.

So what exactly caused all the sores on Sinyagovskaya's face? A doctor diagnosed it as impetigo, a highly contagious bacterial infection of the skin. And Sinyagovskaya says the doctor confirmed it was a direct result of the chemical peel. Sinyagovskaya is suing the facility. She also wants to encourage others to do their research before allowing anyone to do any sort of procedure on their skin.

“If I had known about the risks associated with this chemical peel,I wouldn't have done it,” she said.

See the licensing requirements for chemical peels in Texas

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