Under-18s are no longer able to get Botox injections or dermal lip fillers for cosmetic reasons in England.
The new law, says the BBC, aims to protect young people from harm after years of efforts to regulate the non-surgical beauty industry.
Department of Health and Social Care estimates up to 41,000 Botox-style procedures carried out on under-18s in England last year. It also suggested that said age-group underwent up to 29,300 dermal filler procedures in 2017.
Mum’s horror as botched filler almost ‘blinds her’ as lips swell and turn blue https://t.co/kc6uzdGgdu pic.twitter.com/udnKw9UgTw
— The Mirror (@DailyMirror) June 26, 2019
Stemming from toxic beauty standards created by trends and online influence, cosmetic procedures can easily go awry.
Ban Details
Previously, under-18s were able to have Botox-style procedures and dermal fillers with no checks on their age.
Updates on legislation in Wales and Scotland are expected soon, says the BBC. Northern Ireland has no current plans to make any changes.
Campaigners are calling for further action to protect youth from cosmetic treatment’s downfalls. They ask other nations to implement similar laws to prevent young people in England travelling over the borders for treatments. Also, they ask the government to include other harmful procedures in the legislation, such as thread lifts that aim too give the trendy “fox eyes.”
Currently, practitioners in the UK do not need certified qualifications or training for this type of cosmetic treatment.
Concerningly, the BBC has recently uncovered aesthetic procedures being taught online or on unsafe one-day courses.
