You name the tweakment, I’ve tried it. Take the ‘salmon sperm’ procedure where fragments of fish DNA – known as poly-nucleotides – were injected around my eyes and down my décolletage, leaving me with red welts that took days to subside.

Or the platelet-rich plasma, taken from my own blood and injected into my lips as a natural alternative to filler, leaving them looking like slugs.

From the vast range of treatments I’ve tried in my 25 years as a beauty writer, I’ve learned there are several golden rules you should never deviate from to get safe results you can be proud of – whether you’re going for a Botox boost or trying something a little more experimental.

And my rules are clearly more pertinent than ever.

Tweakments have never been bigger business, but due to the dire lack of regulation around cosmetic procedures in the UK, anyone – and I mean anyone – can pick up a syringe, buy fillers online and start playing around with them, with no licence or training.

Just last week, 28 people in the North East of England were left with potentially fatal botulism (which causes paralysis) after being injected with illegal, fake versions of Botox. Meanwhile, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute has warned that people’s lives are being put at risk by the lack of regulation in the industry, with fillers, Botox and Brazilian butt lifts taking place in hotel rooms, pop-up shops and even public toilets.

Given the huge amount of money that can be made, it’s little wonder there are so many rogue injectors on the loose and that the UK cosmetics industry has become a Wild West. 

So until better regulation is in place, here are my tried and tested tweakment rules. Ignore them at your peril.

Alice Hart-Davis undergoing treatment… she says that from the vast range of treatments she’s tried in her 25 years as a beauty writer, she’s learned there are several golden rules you should never deviate from to get safe results you can be proud of

RULE ONE

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

First, and most important, make sure the practitioner you choose has a medical background, that they’ve trained in aesthetic techniques and had time to develop their skills. No one becomes an expert in their first few years of practice.

Why a medical background? In itself, it’s no guarantee of aesthetic excellence, but it does mean that a practitioner will belong to a regulatory body, such as the General Medical Council or the Nursing and Midwifery Council, that has strict codes of conduct. This means that if you have a complaint, there is a proper process for handling it.

There’s no particular logo or qualification to look out for, as there’s no standardisation across the industry – but there are industry groups like the British College of Aesthetic Medicine (bcam.ac.uk).

A recommendation from a friend is also gold dust. And it may seem obvious but when you get to the practice, it should be clean, hygienic and welcoming.

WHEN CAN YOU BREAK THIS RULE?

NEVER – it’s vital.

Alice Hart-Davis recommends waiting until a procedure is proven before going near it

RULE TWO

DON’T DOCTOR HOP

Once you’ve found your practitioner, stick with them as much as possible. They’ll get to know you and your face, the sort of look you are aiming for – whether that’s ultra-natural or super-glam – and the type of tweaks that will work for your skin and budget. You develop a relationship, and get to know and trust them. Happy days.

WHEN CAN YOU BREAK THIS?

When you’re after a particular procedure that your chosen practitioner doesn’t offer (even then, get them to recommend someone with the appropriate equipment and expertise).

RULE THREE

DON’T BE A GUINEA PIG FOR NEW TREATMENTS

This may sound like hypocrisy from someone whose career is built on trying new tweakments – but there’s a very good reason for this rule. New tweakments are being introduced all the time – especially here in the UK where, as I’ve said already, thanks to the lack of regulation, literally anything goes.

Instead, I would wait until a procedure is proven before you go anywhere near it.

WHEN CAN YOU BREAK THIS?

Unless you’re utterly confident in whoever is treating you, and you absolutely can’t wait, I wouldn’t break this one. Yes, I’ve been that guinea pig more times than I can count, but sometimes I have wished I’d waited rather than jumping in too early.

I once tried a tweak billed as an alternative to Botox, which froze and killed the branch of the facial nerve that allows the brow to lift, but it only worked on one side. I also tried breast-enlarging injections that just went lumpy.

RULE FOUR

GO LOW AND SLOW

Whatever treatment you’re thinking of, whether it’s relatively high-end like Morpheus8, which combines microneedling with radiofrequency energy to stimulate collagen production, or a more readily accessible Botox jab, remember this: you can always have more done later, but you can’t instantly reverse what’s already been done.

WHEN CAN YOU BREAK THIS?

Undoubtedly, most of us would like our faces to show subtle improvement over time, rather than create a massive change in one sitting – that’s my general aim with my own tweaks, to manage how I look as I age. So unless you’re hell-bent on an instant transformation, take it slow, please.

RULE FIVE 

DON’T TREAT WHAT IS NOT BOTHERING YOU

If it ain’t a problem, don’t fix it. You’d think this point was so screamingly obvious that it wouldn’t need saying.

But it just takes someone to say, ‘You know, your nose/eyes/chin would look so much better if…’ and you start wondering: ‘Would it, really?’ Or perhaps

you see a photo of yourself from a bad angle and find yourself zooming in on the tiniest details – and you don’t like what you see.

If this happens, get someone you trust – a partner, your mother or good friend – to talk you down. This is your face, your money and your choice. Don’t have something done just because someone has planted an insecurity in your mind, or you’ve become fixated.

WHEN CAN YOU BREAK THIS?

This is another unbreakable rule: fixating on facial quirks that never used to bother you can be the start of a slippery slide into persistent disappointment and body dysmorphia.

RULE SIX 

ALWAYS TREAT THE FACE AS A WHOLE

Why? So you end up looking balanced (or at least normal). You don’t want to look like your usual old self… only with a giant pair of new lips stuck in the middle of your face. Doing that is, as one practitioner told me, like painting the front door of an old house without paying attention to the rest of the ageing façade.

So if you want your lips done, and your practitioner is talking about balancing or ‘harmonising’ your face with a spot of filler in your cheeks or jawline, this balance is their aim.

WHEN CAN YOU BREAK THIS?

The reason this rule is most often ignored or broken is cost.

But if you do have an excellent and thoughtful injector, they will be able to do just a little bit where you need it, and you’ll look great.

RULE SEVEN

DON’T TWEAK JUST BEFORE A BIG OCCASION

Don’t get any last-minute filler, toxin or skin peels before that party, wedding or red carpet event. Trust me – just don’t – especially if you are the host, the bride or mother-of-the-bride!

For sure, indulge in a tension-soothing, glow-boosting facial – but definitely nothing more.

No one wants to look anything other than fresh and natural on their big day.

Even if you are very confident that your normal practitioner can inject you without leaving a mark – I’ve occasionally had bruises from Botox and fillers – this could be the one time that something goes awry, and you don’t want the one thing that people notice and remember about your star moment to be the bruise that showed through your concealer.

WHEN CAN YOU BREAK THIS?

Please don’t take the risk. I know you’ll want to look your amazing best – but put your energies into getting your outfit and hair and make-up perfect, rather than tweaking your face too close to the event.

Besides, a happy, joyful smile will light up your whole face in a way that Botox never can.

Alice Hart-Davis is the founder of thetweakmentsguide.com