Save Face, a government-approved register of accredited practitioners that aims to uphold standards in non-surgical cosmetic procedures, has raised concerns about “unethical” deals of lip-freezing injections and skin-smoothing fillers being touted on Instagram and Facebook.
They want a ban on under-16s being targeted with this content, as well as tougher sanctions on influencers and celebrities used to promote them. The body said complaints about procedures offered on social media more than doubled last year to 579, from 222 in 2017.
It is a worrying trend that patients for both non surgical and surgical procedures seem to be getting younger. We see more and more younger people in our clinics.
This does not mean we alter our approach, however. If we feel a patient is too young for surgery or for a treatment we will say so, as it is categorically not in their best interests to proceed.
Social media, in particular with so many selfies and home produced videos being made, has had the effect of making people scrutinise their own faces.
This, coupled with airbrushed celebrities, photo filters and infleuncers that have had surgery, undoubtedly has an effect.
It is possible that we would treat younger patients with botox. However, this would have to be for a clinical reason.
Let us not forget that botox was used many years ago for hyperhydrosis before it was found to have a much wider application in aesthetics.
We have long called for more regulation, particularly in the arena of non surgical treatments where it is still entirely possible and legal for a non medical person to inject a non FDA approved botulinum toxin into the face of a child.
That cannot be right.
