A special live debate on body image and cosmetic surgery was aired on BBC Newsbeat last night (24th April).
The broadcaster heard from young people considering cosmetic surgery and their reasons why. They were joined by Apprentice winner Dr Leah Totton, who has recently opened her ‘Dr Leah’ cosmetic clinic with the backing of Sir Alan Sugar, psychologist Emma Kenny, deputy editor of New! Magazine Lisa Jarvis and Lauren Pope from The Only Way is Essex.
The programme came after the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) expressed their concern regarding the number of young people who opt for cosmetic procedures.
BBC Newsbeat conducted a survey with its listeners, who are predominately young adults. It found that over half of respondents who had not already undergone a procedure were contemplating going in for one.
The programme heard from a young girl who was considering a breast enlargement, a 20-year-old man who had had issues with his nose from the age of 16 and ultimately opted for surgery and a young man who challenged the portrayal of men in the media.
The group debated the Government’s recent decision on procedures such as dermal fillers, which were branded ‘a crisis waiting to happen’ by Sir Bruce Keogh, Medical Director of the NHS in his review of the cosmetic surgery industry last year. Sir Bruce called for the fillers to be made available only on prescription but so far, the Government has said that simply better training is needed for those who administer the fillers. Dr Leah said she doesn’t believe the Government has gone far enough and spoke of how she has had to turn away children as young as 14 from her clinics. She also aired her views about the need for in-house psychologists at cosmetic clinics to help those who undergo surgery to understand “the emotional and psychological consequences of a permanent change” as well as the physical ones.
Psychologist Emma Kenny, who has treated people considering cosmetic procedures, and those who have had surgery, told Newsbeat of the thoughts she had heard from Radio 1 listeners, who she had been speaking to throughout the day.
“On the whole as young people they do feel a pressure to conform to a standard – beauty is something they take from the media, for example,” Emma said.
“When I’m working with young people I try to make it clear to them that the reality is you can expect a change for about 6 months and then after that the likelihood is that your self-esteem will drop to what it was.
“Beauty is a perception given to us by society. We always have a choice,” she said.
Lauren Pope of TV show The Only Way Is Essex also spoke of her PIP implants, which she had to have removed.
“It [cosmetic surgery] can be successful and it can go wrong,” Lauren said.
BAAPS reported a rise of 17% in cosmetic surgery procedures in 2013, meaning a total of 50,000 procedures were carried out by its surgeons last year.
Fiona Hedges, Medical Negligence and Cosmetic Surgery Solicitor at Clear Law, said it is incredibly worrying that young people are opting for cosmetic surgery as a route to fix their problems.
“It is being suggested that young people are opting for cosmetic surgery to boost low self-esteem, but this is a very dangerous route to take,” Fiona said. “The body is still forming at such a young age.
“Cosmetic surgery is a decision for life and youngsters should think long and hard before opting for any type of cosmetic procedure. Unfortunately, many things can and do go wrong in the cosmetic surgery industry and it is incredibly worrying to think that young people are potentially being subjected to this risk.”
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