Should advertising cosmetic surgery be banned?

The President of BAAPS Mr Nigel Mercer seems to think advertising cosmetic surgery should be banned. This article appearing in the Independent shares the story. One might assume that this would affect anything that we could define as “advertising”.

Depending on your perspective might include all communications efforts including the internet and other forms of more personalised communication (e.g. emails, letters, even possible business cards). What’s your view? Please comment on this post, and I’ll happily share your opinion with other readers.

“We have reached a stage where public expectation, driven by media hype and, dare one say, professional greed, has brought us to a ‘perfect storm’ in the cosmetic surgical market,” Mr Mercer said.

But Mr Mercer, who combines private practice as a cosmetic surgeon specialising in facelifts with his work as an NHS consultant in reconstructive surgery for cancer patients, said the market for cosmetic surgery, of which Baaps surgeons account for less than one third, was an “unregulated mess”.

He added: “There has been a massive increase in marketing, including discount vouchers, two-for-one offers and holidays with surgery. In no other area of medicine is there such an unregulated mess. What is worse is that national governments would not allow it to happen in other areas of medicine. Imagine a two-for-one advert for general surgery. That way lies madness.”