Surgeons fight back against disreputable advertising in the cosmetics industry

At the BAAPS annual conference in Chester (18th and 19th September), the main topic of conversation has been advertising. Current BAAPS president Douglas McGeorge showed surgeons recent advertisements from some of the mainstream women’s magazines that he felt to be unethical. He explained that the exercise was not so much about ‘naming and shaming’ the companies in question, but about protecting the public from being enticed into making spur of the moment decisions about surgery due to time-based incentives (‘book by the end of the month and get 30% off) or unrealistic expectations raised by digitally enhanced images used in ads.

Because mainstream women’s glossies rarely cover cosmetic surgery in-depth, it is important that advertisers ensure they are presenting women with the facts about surgery, including risks involved.  Of course, Brand New You readers have access to a lot more information about surgical procedures, and are therefore able to make an informed decision, but BAAPS is concerned that there are a lot of young women in the UK who are vulnerable to the powerful messages put across in the advertising from less reputable cosmetic companies.

Although adverts can be withdrawn if they are seen to go beyond reasonable boundaries (one such advertisement - depicting a miserable-faced young woman with a flat chest, accompanied by the words ‘Meet Amy before breast enhancement’ then an image of the same woman with an unrealistically large bust and a joyful expression on her face: ‘meet Amy after breast enhancement’ – was recently withdrawn from the London Underground after the Advertising Standards Authority placed a ban on it), according to Nigel Mercer, BAAPS President-Elect , ‘by then the damage is done’, so BAAPS officials now feel it is time to counteract this ‘worrying trend’ with an ad campaign of their own.

The BAAPS ad depicts a large scalpel, and carries the tag-line ‘Be Sure. Be Safe’. The ad will appear in the classified section of several mainstream women’s glossies in August, alongside the ‘hard sell’ ads it is trying to combat. The aim, according to former BAAPS president Adam Searle, is that young women who may otherwise have responded to an advert for a boob job without a second thought, will see the BAAPS advert and remember that the decision to undergo surgery is not one to be taken lightly.

Footer: If you’re considering surgery, we recommend you follow this checklist before choosing your surgeon:
•       Check his/her qualifications – you wouldn’t want your appendix removed by an unqualified surgeon, so why not show your breasts/face the same respect?

•       In the initial consultation, watch out for any cross-selling – if s/he is suggesting complementary treatments (such as fillers to enhance the effects of a face-lift) then fine, but if you feel s/he is just trying to make more money out of you, don’t be afraid to walk away

•       Ask him/her their complication rate – if they hesitate or give a seemingly unrealistic answer, leave.
•       For the best advice, visit the BAAPS website: www.baaps.org.uk