Should advertising by aesthetic surgeons be permitted?

Abstract

Cosmetic, aesthetic and cutaneous surgical procedures require qualified specialists trained in the various procedures and competent to handle complications. However, it also requires huge investments in terms of infrastructure, trained staff and equipment. To be viable advertising is essential to any establishment which provides cosmetic and aesthetic procedures. Business men with deep pockets establish beauty chains which also provide these services and advertise heavily to sway public opinion in their favour. However, these saloons and spas lack basic medical facilities in terms of staff or equipment to handle any complication or medical emergency. To have a level playing field ethical advertising should be permitted to qualified aesthetic surgeons as is permitted in the US and UK by their respective organisations.

Do Websites Serve Our Patients Well? A Comparative Analysis of Online Information on Cosmetic Injectables

“…The reasons for this merit investigation but may be because of the bias of marketing pressures, wherein there is a disincentive to highlight key risks and side effects and an incentive to focus mostly on the glamour of cosmetic procedures. [35][36][37][38] For the practitioner who wishes to properly explain risks, this may potentially be thought to place an inherent strain on the physician-patient relationship, affecting trust, and the default response may be to not discuss this at all on the website. In addition, some private practitioners may have limited resources, making it difficult to dedicate time to strengthening online educational materials.…”