Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery Blog – Harley Medical Group

The number of people who chose to undergo a cosmetic surgery procedure increased again last year, according to new data.

Statistics gathered by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps) revealed a 6 per cent year-on-year rise in the number of procedures carried out in 2011. According to the industry organisation, a total of 43,069 cosmetic operations were performed in the UK last year, up from 38,274 during the previous 12 months.

(more…)

There are an increasing number of ways for people to make sure they stay fresh-faced and looking youthful without opting for surgery, according to cosmetic industry professionals.

Treatments to relax a person’s facial muscles, dermal fillers, skin peels and Dermaroller treatments are all popular ways of improving appearance and helping to boost people’s self-confidence. And according to skin specialist Dr Ross Perry, non-surgical treatments allow people to roll back the years within a very short space of time.

(more…)

Dr Fazel Fatah, plastic surgeon and president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), has called the cross-selling of procedures “unethical”.

Talking to the BBC, Dr Fatah issued a stark warning that lines are becoming dangerously blurred between surgical and non-surgical treatments. The surgeon compared choosing an unregulated clinic to have either type of procedure, to trusting your boiler to an unqualified engineer.

The number of people choosing to have Botox and face lifts for example is rising rapidly and with this in mind Dr Fatah is worried that cosmetic treatments are trivialising serious surgical operations.

“While you may think there is nothing unethical about encouraging customers to buy two items from a shop when they intend to buy one only, it is highly unethical to cross sell serious medical procedures to an unwitting customer when she or he goes simply to have a non-invasive beauty treatment or injections to reduce wrinkles”, says Dr Fatah.

And it is with this in mind that patients are reminded of the importance of choosing a regulated and ethical provider, whether they are opting for surgical or non-surgical procedures.

Two influential names in the plastic surgery industry have spoken out in support of a campaign to stamp out rogue plastic surgeons operating out of backstreet clinics.

Former president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) Dr Douglas McGeorge, and specialist plastic surgeon and honorary lecturer at Imperial College Dr Charles Nduka, told online newspaper The Voice that they want to see tougher regulations introduced.

Nduka said: “Less people are well informed and my main concern is about lack of regulation.”

McGeorge agreed: “The problem we have in the UK is that it is a voluntary code of practice. There is still a need for legislation to make the guidelines compulsory rather that voluntary.”

The campaign, launched on March 2 by Baroness Shireen Ritchie, will investigate complaints made by patients about plastic surgeons, and dish out punishments for clinics that don’t adhere to strict health and safety regulations.

British representatives have been invited to sit on a new committee set up in Brussels, which may finally agree on standard regulations for cosmetic surgery in the UK.

Comprehensive controls over plastic surgery are good for patients as well as practitioners, allowing anyone who’s thinking of having a breast enlargement, liposuction or non surgical solutions such as Botox to make sure their surgeon is accredited and qualified to carry out their treatments. (more…)

We’ve been seeing a rise in the number of men considering – and going through with – cosmetic surgery for a good long while now, so a survey from BAAPS showing that last year saw the figures swell by a fifth didn’t hold many surprises for me. (more…)

The Royal Society of Medicine is looking out for the needs of patients by encouraging the adoption of stricter regulations for cosmetic surgery in the UK. (more…)

Patients in the UK are been warned against the dangers of travelling abroad for cosmetic surgery treatments from unethical clinics, following an increase in the number of patients reporting complications from their surgery abroad over the last 18 months. (more…)

The number of men seeking cosmetic surgery is on the up, according to new statistics from the Harley Medical Group.

In the last 12 months, the number of males choosing to undergo a male plastic surgery procedure has increased by 26 per cent. The survey of over 15,000 patients also revealed that the groups most likely to go under the knife include city workers, civil servants and men who work in politics, law and accountancy. (more…)

New reports are showing that the trend towards large, heavy earrings is inspiring women to turn to a new cosmetic surgery.

Cosmetic surgeons are noting that they’ve seen an increase in demand for earlobe reshaping surgery, and they believe the trend is due to women wearing large, heavy earrings. (more…)