A small riot swept through the UK recently when Transform, the provider for cosmetic surgery products in Manchester, teamed up with UK clothing catalogue, Grattan and promised a range of non-surgical procedures, such as botox administration, payable in installments.

In response, the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) warned shoppers not to buy any of the treatments on offer in the Grattan mail-order catalogue, and stressed that such "off-the-shelf" sales undermined the seriousness of the procedures.

Botox is a highly purified and much diluted form of one of the most poisonous naturally occurring substance in the world- Botulinium Toxin. This protein, which paralyses muscles, is diluted to reach its safe mode for medical use. The diluted form is then injected to the space between nerves and muscles, causing the muscle to lose its ability to contract - leaving the face smooth and wrinkle free.

Botox does have potential side effects such as pain, tenderness, or bruising at the injection site, eyelid drooping (ptosis), dry eyes, double vision, and injections into the cheek may cause facial droop. These side effects depend upon the site of injection, the frequency of injection, the dose and physician experience and expertise. Botox treatment needs to be repeated every three month to receive a lasting effect.

Nevertheless, Botox is the only non surgical anti-wrinkle treatment, and therefore is one of the hottest anti-aging trends in the UK.

In July this year, marketing research company, Mintel reported that Britons were likely to spend £659 million on cosmetic procedures in 2007, with botox being the most popular non-surgical cosmetic procedure.

These statistics provided great motivation for Transform to decide on selling the procedures via clothing catalogues. BAAPS doctors said that medical treatments were now being reduced to the status of "socks and pants selection".

Pat Dunion, operations director for Transform said ‘Transform is regulated by the Healthcare Commission and all our practitioners across our 22 clinics are either a qualified doctor, surgeon or a registered general nurse,' and maintained the procedure is safe.

MyHealthPortal strongly recommends choosing a qualified physician for aesthetic procedures, including non-surgical ones. Follow these precautions to stay on the safe side.

MyHealthPortal’s golden rules:

1. Look for a qualified physician- Botox therapy is a medical procedure. It is imperative that you receive this treatment from a qualified physician. You should seek a specialist in the field such as a dermatologist or a plastic surgeon.

2. You get what you pay for- Botox therapy is not a cheap procedure. Offers of discount botox therapy should raise alarm bells.

3. See several clinics before making a decision- Before choosing the clinic, visit several clinics. See that the clinic is clean and tidy. Check how many patients visit the clinic each month, and if there are any complaints.

4. Experience- Make sure the clinic and the doctor you choose have done botox procedures in the past.

5. Reliability- Ask your future therapist if there are any risks associated with botox therapy. Any professional physician will advise you on risks and complications. If your therapist does not present you with the possible risks, you should seriously question his or her credibility.