Unlike your anonymous correspondent ('Health or beauty?', December 28), I am of the view that the introduction of courses relating to beauty treatments (for example, Botox) by the Hong Kong University medical school is a laudable move.
Given the large number of people visiting beauty parlours in a city where a variety of treatments are being practised, it is of utmost importance to ensure that local beauticians have reached an acceptable standard to prevent any unnecessary harm being done to consumers.
The kind of course pioneered by the university's dermatology unit can help to produce properly trained practitioners in the field and is therefore of benefit to the public. Besides, income generated from tuition fees may provide an additional source of revenue for other types of research when government funding is declining.
Such an area of activity is definitely one that any innovative and community-minded university should be exploring.
NADIA HO, Kowloon Tong