Celebrity endorsement of cosmetic procedures is highly influential, and social media makes it incredibly easy for images of influencers who have undergone surgery and enhancements to be assimilated to millions of people at the touch of a button. That’s why we launched a petition earlier in the year to stop these images being shown to children and young adults, as well as asking for influencers to be more upfront about the cosmetic work they have undergone to achieve their look.

It was encouraging to see Instagram and Facebook take note of our pleas and those of many others earlier this month, with a recent ruling passed that bans content promoting cosmetic surgery to under 18s. Just days after the regulations changed, the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) highlighted another important issue, when it banned adverts run by two beauty firms promoting cosmetic enhancement packages that claimed to make people look like Kylie Jenner, despite the reality TV star having no links with the companies.

AKJ Aesthetics and Queen of Aesthetics were promoting dermal filler packages using images of the reality star and calling it the “Kylie Jenner Package”. These adverts suggested that those who bought the packages could resemble Kylie Jenner, by undertaking procedures to their lips, cheeks and jawlines.

The ASA ruling stated: “We understood that Queen of Aesthetics wanted to present their products in the best light and use imagery that might represent what their products could achieve. However, we considered the ad should not misleadingly exaggerate the effect those products could achieve.

“Therefore we expected to see that the person in the ad, Kylie Jenner, had used those products and the ad was a realistic depiction of what the products could achieve. We had not seen evidence that the products’ effects on Kylie Jenner, as featured in the ad, could be achieved through use of the product only. Because Queen of Aesthetics had not provided sufficient evidence that substantiated the ad’s claims we therefore concluded that the ad was misleading.”

The advert was banned and the company was told not to suggest that celebrities had used their products if they had not.

Aside from the misleading nature of the advertisement, it is important to consider the implications of an individual undertaking cosmetic work in a bid to resemble somebody else. This practice is especially worrying when the person they are looking to emulate is a celebrity with access to untold levels of cosmetic surgery, enhancements and treatments from the world’s top surgeons and aesthetic professionals.

As the popularity of non-surgical cosmetic procedures continues to rise, so too does the number of practitioners, none of whom are legally regulated. Unlike cosmetic surgeons, non-surgical practitioners can carry out enhancements such as dermal fillers and chemical peels without any regulation. This means the risk of something going wrong is potentially much higher and the regulatory protection for victims of a botched procedure is much lower. Therefore it is crucial that anybody considering a non-surgical procedure conducts thorough research into the practitioner and their credentials.

While the ASA ruling has prevented two organisations from misleading their customers when it comes to cosmetic enhancements, there are many more companies and influencers out there that are encouraging vulnerable individuals into making a rushed decision that has huge implications for their physical and mental health.

Save Face is a national register of accredited practitioners who have all been inspected by the organisation and meet its set of standards. If you are considering any sort of treatment then you should consult the Save Face register and carry out due diligence check to ensure you are in the best possible hands.

Get in touch with us today if you have been affected by a negligent cosmetic procedure or surgery. Our specialist team of medical negligence solicitors operate on a no-win, no-fee basis and can help you claim for cosmetic surgery compensation. Call us on 0808 252 7132, or arrange for us to call you back by using our online contact form.