Interventions in Airbnb

Quacks travel to Vienna specifically for cosmetic surgery

The emergency response team and police have already shut down several clinics.(Bild: Gruppe Sofortmaßnahmen)

Beauty at bargain prices: traveling providers inject Botox and fillers in Airbnb apartments in Vienna. No doctor, no liability, no supervision. A specialist warns of dramatic consequences.

They arrive with their wheeled suitcases – and leave with cash in hand. In recent months, several illegal beauty services have been exposed in Vienna. Botox, hyaluronic acid, even surgical procedures were advertised on Instagram, with appointments made via direct message. The treatments were not carried out in a doctor's office, but in rented apartments.

"In Austria, only a doctor is allowed to pierce the skin with a needle," explains Dr. Harald Beck. The specialist in aesthetic surgery has been running a center in the 1st district since 2017. For him, the legal situation is clear: injections are reserved for doctors.

Surgeon Dr. Harald Beck warns against traveling quacks in Vienna.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Harald Beck, stock.adobe.com)

Here today, gone tomorrow
But it is precisely this boundary that is being circumvented. According to Beck, providers travel from abroad, rent accommodation for a few days, and treat several customers in succession. "They're there for a while and then they're gone again." What sounds harmless is extremely dangerous. No liability insurance, no tangible address, no follow-up care. Anyone who suffers complications is left on their own. A legal dispute? Hardly possible. Because if someone can no longer be found, they cannot be prosecuted.

The emergency response team and police have already shut down several clinics.(Bild: Gruppe Sofortmaßnahmen)

Beauty should not be a blind leap: anyone who goes under the needle must know that in an emergency, a doctor is liable and not someone who will have disappeared tomorrow.

Dr. Harald Beck, Chirurg

From crooked lips to death
The fact that this often goes wrong is not just theory. "Yes, definitely," says Beck. In addition to unsightly results such as lumps, inflammation, or asymmetry, there have also been extreme cases: a severely damaged nose after a filler treatment. One patient ended up in the hospital after a lip injection and later died. This is a delicate situation for the doctor providing follow-up treatment. Whoever performs the correction assumes responsibility.

Hyaluronicacidcarries a high risk
Hyaluronic acid is particularly critical. According to Beck, Botox causes virtually no infections. Hyaluronic acid, on the other hand, is a gel, a foreign body in the tissue. "It has a very high complication rate and also a high infection rate." Absolute sterility is mandatory. Clean needles, proper disinfection, seamless cooling and supply chains. It is precisely these standards that are questionable with traveling providers. The preparations are transported without secure storage. It is often unclear whether they are approved in Europe.

Expensive – and still illegal
Surprisingly, price is rarely the argument. According to Beck, many of these providers charge two-thirds to three-quarters of the usual fees, and in some cases even the full amount. Cheap it is not. They advertise with dozens of before-and-after photos. Lips, cheeks, chin – perfectly staged. Scrolling through, you get the impression that if so many people are doing it, it can't be wrong. However, cases from Vienna and Lower Austria paint a different picture. A few months ago, a facelift was performed in an Airbnb apartment. Recently, an arrested beautician offered major procedures, including anesthesia, in a basement.

8,000 euros for illegal treatment
Beck is currently dealing with a particularly drastic case: a patient was injected with hyaluronic acid in her breasts and buttocks for over 8,000 euros – a treatment that is illegal in this form. "We are now working on reversing the consequences." It remains to be seen whether there will be any permanent damage.

Syringes and preparations seized in an apartment – often poorly stored.(Bild: Gruppe Sofortmaßnahmen)

How patients can protect themselves
If you want to be on the safe side, you should check the medical association's directory of doctors. Every doctor must be registered there, have a registered practice, and have liability insurance. A practice sign is mandatory. And a warning sign should be taken seriously: pain that does not subside after treatment or becomes more severe. "Then there is imminent danger," warns Beck. In this case, consult an experienced doctor quickly – such as a plastic surgeon or dermatologist specializing in aesthetic medicine.

Beauty promises quick results. But anyone who goes under the needle should know exactly who they are trusting. Because if something goes wrong, the traveling quacks will have long since moved on. What remains is the risk—and the patient.