The booming cosmetic surgery industry has become an “everyday product”, British health officials have said.
An independent review into cosmetic procedures has concluded that cosmetic interventions have become “normalised”.
The group said there has been a “trivialis-ation” of procedures – influenced by TV programmes such as Towie, magazines and social media.
Plastic surgeon Simon Withey, who also sat on the review board, said: “Part of the reason there hasn’t been a change (following the PIP implant troubles) is because there has been this trivialisation of plastic surgery.
“I do think shows like this (Towie) do contribute towards this trivialisation and there’s a failure to inform the public that there are risks and implications for these things.”
In 2010 people across the UK spent £2.3 billion (€1.7 billion) on cosmetic procedures ranging from Botox to breast implants.
Nine in 10 cosmetic procedures are non-surgical treatments such as injectable anti-wrinkle treatments .
But the review board, set up following the PIP breast implant scandal, said they were “surprised” to learn that non-surgical treatments are almost entirely unregulated.
The group said there has been “explosive growth” in the market for dermal filler treatments, which involve injecting a gel-like substance into wrinkle sites.
The products, which are also used to plump up lips, should be made prescription-only, the review board said.
In the US, where the items are “properly regulated”, there are just 14 items on the market, but across Europe there are no less than 190 different types of fillers available, the review found.
Officials said the treatments, which are readily available over the internet, are currently regulated alongside items such as electric plugs, but should be classed as medical devices.
The review board’s final report states: “It is our view that dermal fillers are a crisis waiting to happen. A person having a non-surgical cosmetic intervention has no more protection and redress than someone buying a ball-point pen or a toothbrush.”
National Health Services (NHS) medical director Bruce Keogh said, “The irony in all of this is that not only are fillers not regulated as a medical device; the most striking thing is that anybody, anywhere, anytime, can give a filler to anybody else, and that is bizarre.
“We should ensure that all devices – whether solid or liquid – that are implanted into humans and stay there should be covered by the medical devices regulation.”