One of the most controversial aspects of healthcare in recent years has been the advent of aggressive, “ask your doctor about…” style advertising.  It’s blamed for the dramatic increase in the rise of prescription drug use, but it’s also played a role in the increasing popularity of plastic surgery (up 59 percent from 2000 to 2007) and the two-year increase in the average age of patients seeking the top 10 cosmetic procedures (according to the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery).  So many women and men are so eager to look younger than their years that they are apparently willing to believe questionable claims from companies and clinics offering unrealistic plastic surgery results.

If you’ve read our book, The Beauty Prescription, then you know that we’re in favor of plastic surgery—when it’s appropriate.  It isn’t always.  Any surgery comes with hazards, and often women can achieve more satisfying improvements to their inner and outer beauty by making changes in their lifestyle, such as eating a healthy diet, getting in shape and maintaining a smart skin care regimen.  Certainly in some cases plastic surgery can be a blessing, but not when it’s based on misperceptions based on ads that are, frankly, fraudulent.  We’re not talking about the airbrushed photos of models in the newspapers; most readers are savvy enough to take those with a grain of salt.  We’re talking about breast augmentation clinics that promise breasts that are anatomically impossible, and “lunchtime face lifts” that are little more than snake oil.  Such misleading marketing costs patients big money (since many cosmetic procedures are elective and thus not covered by insurance) and puts them at risk.

So bravo to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, which has come out with a strong statement condemning such false advertising at its annual conference.  The group called out such practices as clinics that offer “act now” discounts of up to $500 to women who had breast augmentation surgery quickly.  You don’t have to be psychic to know that such incentives are bound to lead to rash decisions and bad outcomes, especially among young women who are willing to believe that they can look like Pamela Anderson with three easy payments.

We can only hope that we’ll soon hear the same kind of responsible, ethical talk from the billion-dollar U.S. plastic surgery industry—and it would be even better if it had some sort of regulatory teeth behind it.  We’ll keep you posted.

Stay beautiful…

Debi & Eva