Lunchtime Facelift Cosmetic Surgery Under Fire
The leaders of cosmetic surgery industry frown upon clinics specializing in plastic operations for using deceptive methods advertising their services.
BAAPS surgeons reacted negatively to another ad which offered a “lunchtime facelift”, which is unrealistic because the procedure cannot be performed in such a short time and patients are bound to be disappointed.
BAAPS is not a regulating authority and even though it is comprised of one third of UK‘s plastic surgeons, it does not have any powers to take measures against cosmetic clinics. However, BAAPS is about to start a marketing campaign in order to encourage people to take all aspects into consideration before choosing cosmetic surgery.
The president of BAAPS Douglas McGeorge, who is also a consulting plastic surgeon, said: “Surgery is a serious undertaking which requires realistic expectations and should only proceed after proper consultation with a reputable and properly qualified clinician in an appropriate clinical setting. He also noticed: “It is very difficult to regulate these adverts. We are particularly worried about younger, vulnerable readers of magazines who are being targeted very heavily.”
The Independent Healthcare Authority’s code of practice has been accepted by a number of clinics. It claims that advertisements should be aimed at protecting customers from false hopes and should use realistic models as examples. However, this code of practice is not compulsory.
Former president of the organisation Adam Searle said: “Plastic surgery, when used well, is the most powerful tool to improve patients’ well-being. “What it should not be used for is to make money. It is the patient who should benefit not the surgeon.”
A representative of the Advertising Standards Authority said they encouraged initiative by organisations to promote fair treatment of customers in adverstisement. “We look into all complaints and make an adjudication. This is not something we are inundated about but there are more adverts of that nature out there now so we you might expect more complaints.”
