Kuala Lumpur, 25 April 2019 — England’s Department of Health is scheduled to launch in the coming weeks, a campaign aimed to increase public awareness and concern of “botched” cosmetic procedures.
It comes on the back of an online survey of 1,033 women aged 18 to 30, which found that 83% would change part of their body if money and health risks were not a concern.
The study which was commissioned and shared by the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme, found that 63% of those willing to undergo cosmetic surgey, would change their stomach and more than half would do their breasts. 7% of those surveyed who have already had an existing or prior cosmetic procedure, had lip fillers and botox. Almost 70% of them felt more confident after doing so.
There has been a rise in people seeking such surgeries abroad. Procedures such as the “Brazilian butt lift” and the use of Botox are particularly popular, with self-injected dermal and lip fillers also being preferred.
The proliferation of influencers and celebrities sharing their experience and procedures on online media has resulted in more people seeking to do similar work on themselves. The increase in availability and affordability of such cosmetic surgeries have also contributed to this trend.
However, also on the increase are complications or “botched” procedures which then need to be treated. Besides impacting the state of mental and physical health of those affected, there have also been cases which have resulted in fatalities.
A consultant plastic surgeon and a member of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, Nora Nugent, when interviewed by the BBC, expressed concerns regarding the existence of “cowboy injectors”, who administer fillers without medical training. They were often found to be beauticians, rather than trained medical personnel.
Through this campaign, the health department hopes to educate the public on the importance of getting advice from a reputable, safe, and qualified practitioner before considering a cosmetic procedure.