Limit looms on ultrasound use in beauty care

The government is planning amendments to the Radiation Act with a provision for limiting values of the exposure to ultrasound used for non-medical purposes.

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health took the initiative, sensing that the limit-values would improve the safety of customers in beauty care, said a government press release.

The limit-values would also enable more efficient monitoring of the potentially risky ultrasound procedures.

Fat removal performed with a high-power device, so-called ultrasonic cavitation, is potentially dangerous and the procedure must particularly not be performed during pregnancy, said the ministry quoting a recent survey.

The ministry and the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) consider that there should be more control on the use of ultrasound in beauty care.

Without realising it, service providers might use high-power devices in a way that puts the health of the people at risk.

The survey, however, said ultrasound machines are commonly used in beauty care. Most of the procedures are safe when done correctly.

The aim of ultrasonic cavitation is to break down fat tissue using ultrasound and expel the fat from the body through the metabolism.

Around 100 enterprises have been estimated to use these procedures in Finland. In the cavitation, the ultrasound might penetrate the body at the depth of up to several dozens of centimetres. This might expose the customer’s bones, internal organs and, in case of pregnancy, the foetus to the ultrasound.

For instance, the ultrasound might cause damage to blood vessels and the nervous system and cause infections and bleeding in tissues. The substances stored in the fat tissue might also pose a risk to the health of the treated person, breastfed infant or foetus as the matter is released and migrates in the body as a result of the procedure.

The survey report also said that services provided in beauty care must not be confused with medical ultrasound where ultrasound is used for cancer screening and prenatal screening, for instance. These examinations cause no harm to the health of the patient or the foetus. The devices used in prenatal screening, for example, have much lower power than the devices used in cavitation. Moreover, medical ultrasound is always planned specifically for each situation so as not to cause any harm.

The currently published survey on limiting exposure to ultrasound is a compilation of research data of the health impacts of cosmetic procedures performed with ultrasound and presents the international recommendations on limiting exposure. Similar surveys regarding the health effects of cosmetic procedures performed with ultrasound have also been conducted in other countries, including the United States, Germany and Great Britain. The survey presents a proposal on limiting non-medical ultrasound exposure in the upcoming Radiation Act.