BAPRAS launches new awareness campaign
The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) is calling on the industry to support a new campaign it has launched to raise public awareness of the importance of making informed decisions about cosmetic procedures.
The Think Over Before You Make Over initiative was developed on the back of a survey conducted by BAPRAS, which found that thousands of people are putting themselves at risk by not taking the proper precautions before having cosmetic surgery.
The survey found that, of the two million people considering or undergoing cosmetic surgery in the next year, almost a quarter (24%) won’t check their surgeon’s credentials beforehand, while 21% aren’t fully aware of the risks associated with procedures.
BAPRAS identified a list of influences on people undertaking the decision to have cosmetic surgery, with over half of patients (53%) citing celebrity treatments as a motivation and 45% claiming they felt social pressure to undergo surgery. 51% of respondents said that marketing from clinics made them more likely to consider a treatment. The campaign aims to help anyone who is considering surgery to assess whether it is the right choice for them and includes a range of free guides from some of the UK’s most experienced plastic surgeons and practitioners.
BAPRAS is asking individual practitioners and clinics to show their support by displaying the campaign logo on their websites or in their surgeries. BAPRAS president and consultant plastic surgeon Nigel Mercer said, “Cosmetic surgery is not something to be taken lightly and yet thousands of people are putting themselves at serious risk by rushing into major procedures recklessly, without consideration for their own safety. In fact, many people spend more time choosing an electrician than they do a surgeon. Think Over Before You Make Over is not here to promote cosmetic surgery; we recognise that thousands of people will choose to have surgery this year and we want all these people to read our campaign advice so they can make informed choices and protect themselves from bad practice.”
For more information about the campaign, please visit www.bapras.org.uk/thinkover
