Bad Practise
The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon’s, also known by the wonderful acronym BAAPS, has been rewarded for highlighting irresponsible advertising within the plastic surgery industry.
The Association Initiative of the Year award was given to the organisation at the prestigious Aesthetic Medical Awards (Second only to the Oscar’s don’t you know). BAAPS president, Nigel Mercer, has expressed his delight at winning the award, being quoted as commenting: “”We are delighted to receive this award from Aesthetic Medicine. At the BAAPS we have always worked hard to educate the public on the issues surrounding aesthetic procedures and it was a privilege to receive recognition from our peers.”
The campaign by the organisation has focussed on the standard and style of some advertising within the plastic surgery industry and this is testament to the fact that the scrutiny has paid off. It is hoped that such campaigns, and indeed such award events as this, will help root out the last remaining bad elements of the vast and expansive industry and help build a cosmetic surgery community in which the best practises and customer care were always observed to the upmost degree. It was felt that, in the past, the industry had been jeopardised by irresponsible advertising that was misleading customers in many elements of the cosmetic surgery enterprise. It is surely only fair that customers are told the risks, the costs and the possible side effects of any procedure they may to undertake; this information should also be told in a clear, easy to understand and precise manner. Such ideals are the driving force behind the BAAPS campaign and the reason they have been honoured in this manner. It is hoped that many more organisations will now follow their ethical lead and find new and innovative ways of cleaning up the industry.
Perhaps the key to BAAPS success (seriously, that acronym is great!) is that most of their members, and indeed their previously mentioned President, are all practising plastic surgeons themselves. This gives them a unique insight to the industry and means that they literally know the problems of the industry inside-out. Hopefully, more plastic surgeons will follow their lead and, as we move into a new decade, we will finally be able to eradicate the final few shadows in the industry and let the beacon of aesthetic surgery shine out and change people’s lives up and down the country.
