Medical and aesthetic professionals have called on Nigerian women to prioritise safety when considering cosmetic procedures.
Speaking during a Zoom session organised by CGE Healthcare to commemorate the 2026 International Women’s Day, attended by PREMIUM TIMES, the experts highlighted how the rising demand for body enhancements and aesthetic treatments has increasingly exposed many to serious health risks.
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The panel featured Chidinma “Dr Dinma” Akpa, Chief Executive Officer of CGE Healthcare; Emelda Rufai, founder of Maison Valor; Tosin Ajibade, founder of OloriSuperGal and Healthy Living with Tosin; and Onyeka Michael-Ugwu, founder and CEO of Hello Perfect Aesthetics and Laser Clinic.
Speaking on the theme, “Redefining Beauty, Power and Wellness,” the speakers warned that unregulated practices, the use of unqualified practitioners, and the appeal of quick, low-cost results often come at a high price.
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They called for stricter regulation across the industry, alongside greater public awareness, to better protect consumers from avoidable complications.
Safety
Speaking on safety and informed decision-making, Dr Dinma, the host, noted that cosmetic surgery was once a deeply private matter, often surrounded by secrecy and harsh public judgment.
She explained that many people previously avoided discussing it openly for fear of stigma or criticism.
However, she said attitudes have shifted in recent years, with influencers and actresses leading a more open and accepting conversation around cosmetic procedures.
Dr Dinma also pointed out that this growing acceptance, particularly among women, had contributed to a surge in demand, which, unfortunately, had attracted several unqualified practitioners and led to the industry expanding in a concerning way.
She said, “There are providers all over the place. A lot of people are joining the aesthetics community. And as Ma’am Onyeka said, they are doing it just for the benefit, and many times not really caring about the consumer. So, when it comes to surgery, what I want people to think about first is the word safety. Safety is not just what the practitioner tells you. It is their disposition, their environment, their processes, and how they are bringing you into doing the body or doing the procedure with them. If you’re consulting with them, you have to look around. Are they settled? Do they have the regulatory certificates?
“Do these people look like they are prepared? Per adventure, there’s an emergence. Then, when you’re talking to the provider, are they answering all your questions in detail, giving you the full information, not mincing words? Are they paying attention to you, too? Because sometimes you want to cross the line, and a safe provider will bring you back and say, no. If you go this way, you’ll have more than you need. Are they fully qualified? What is their ratio of complications? How willing are they to bring you into the risks, the issues?”
The process
Dr Dinma also advised women to be more deliberate when choosing aesthetic procedures, urging them to ask the right questions and carefully assess a practitioner’s motives, particularly where profit appears to take precedence over patient care.
She stressed that every decision around beauty and safety should begin with a solid foundation, noting that what happens at the most basic level ultimately shapes the overall outcome.
Speaking further, she explained that aesthetics goes beyond achieving visible results, emphasising that the process itself matters as much. She added that women’s bodies should not be treated as trends to follow or discard.
“I would also encourage everybody to embrace subtle natural results. After you’ve done your due diligence, that person is safe, their protocols are okay, and they are not trying to collect your money. Embrace natural results. That person who comes to you and says, “No problem, say no more, this is how you want it to be, don’t worry about it, we’ll do it”-there’s a risk there. Where the person is calling your attention to ratios, your waist to your hip ratio, your hip to your thigh ratio, and the elasticity of your skin.
“Because sometimes when we see all these stories and videos of people leaking fat after doing a BBL, it is because the elastic limit of their skin was exceeded. The person was obviously trying to force that fat in, expand it by all means possible. Still, if you embrace subtle results, natural results, if you embrace the idea of looking smart, as against looking obvious and exaggerated, it will also go a long way in your safety”, said Dr Dinma.
Alignment
She added that beauty should be about personal alignment, not pressure, urging women to step back whenever that pressure becomes overwhelming.
Dr Dinma stressed that any decision around beauty must come from within, an informed and confident choice, rather than something driven by external expectations.
While she acknowledged the impact of aesthetic medicine, she emphasised that a woman’s well-being matters just as much, noting that the true goal is not perfection, but a sense of balance and alignment.
“I’m doing this for myself, to improve myself, to give myself a comeback, to give myself, to tell a better story, to reclaim myself, for my mental and emotional wellness, for my own empowerment. So that is why one should do this: no other reason than to look good, to walk past the mirror and feel happy, to walk into any room and know that, yes, when you speak, people will listen to you. Those are part of the benefits of doing this thing, not because others are doing it.
“Not because that’s the trend now, not because your clique of friends are no longer talking to you, that you’ve not done it, they are bullying you. You may say, ” Okay, when I get my body done, I could get back at people, but that should not be the driving factor. Go for subtlety, go for natural results. You’re already powerful and beautiful; just a few finishing touches, and when done right, beauty is empowering. It is, it gives you that, I don’t know how to express it, it’s empowering.”
Better attention
Meanwhile, speaking on the future of skincare and laser treatments, Ms Michael-Ugwu noted that, in the past, many people felt a stigma around undergoing certain procedures.
However, she said the industry is gradually changing.
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She added that the future looks far brighter, with greater focus on quality and care rather than people entering the field purely for financial gain.
“The medical fields are beginning to pay attention. At Hello Perfect, we have nurses and doctors as our practitioners in the clinic because they are passionate about the medical field and want to give their best. So, looking at the future of aesthetics, I’ll say three things. I’ll say wellness. So, we’re not just approaching it as a single, linear treatment. It will be connected to everyone’s wellness.
“So, everything is going to be linked with the future of aesthetics. It is not just your skin. It is your food. It is your wellness. It is your mental health. So, we’re going to look at things holistically moving forward. Again, I love the new age of regenerative skincare. So, looking at this as a three-optimised approach. First, wellness will be incorporated. Secondly, it would be regenerative skincare. And the third is going to be the integrity of the skin”, said Ms Michael-Ugwu.
Wellness
Speaking on wellness, Ms Michael-Ugwu described it as a holistic approach, rather than simply following trends or doing what others are doing for the sake of appearances.
She added that while the future of aesthetics is promising, its true potential lies in collaboration, education, and collective effort to ensure that the health and integrity of the skin remain a priority.
“It is that thing that we look at you as a human being in a fullness of what your skin, your body, and your mind need. And then moving on, we’re going to look at regenerative skincare. We’re moving farther and farther away from where we all want to look the same: long jawline, one big lip, high cheekbones, and all that beauty. Not where we all want to have that homogeneous aesthetic, you know.
“So, skincare would be aesthetics, and the future aesthetics will be more regenerative, where we encourage your skin to produce its own elasticity, to produce its own health, to encourage the skin. So, not so much injectables. While I do respect injectables, it’s a procedure I do very well, but we are looking at other aspects of it. We love the idea of salmon DNA.”
