Adverts for cosmetic surgeries to be banned for under-18s from May

 

The UK advertising watchdog says the rules for adverts for cosmetic surgery  including breast enhancements and nose jobs designed to change person’s physical appearance are to be banned targeting under 18s across  TV programmes and social media.

It is illegal to perform cosmetic procedures on under-18s but there have previously been no restrictions on advertising them. The decision comes after a consultation by the committee for Advertising Practice (CAP) which writes the rules that all UK advertisers have to follow.

There were concerns about the potential harm of advertising cosmetic changes to children and young people -such as body image pressures and mental health issues, as well as risks to potential complications of the procedures. The ban also covers dermal fillers and skin rejuvenation treatments such as injectable treatments, chemical peels and laser or light treatments and teeth whitening products.  Earlier this year, the ASA named and shamed social media stars for breaking advertising rules. Love Island’s Luke Mabbott, Gabby Allen, Towie’s Lauren Goodger and TikTok collective The Wave House have all been made to take posts down because they weren’t clearly labelled as adverts. In August, the ASA named and shamed four celebrities who it said repeatedly broke the rules, Chloe Khan, Jodie Marsh, Lucy Mecklenburgh and Chloe Ferry.

CAP director Shjahriar Coupal said “Because of the inherent risks of cosmetic intervention procedures, and the potential appeal of these services to young people struggling with body confidence issues, it’s important we set the bar necessarily high in terms of marketing.” The Committee also said evidence contributed to an “ever clearer picture” that children and young people are vulnerable to body image pressure.

Junk food TV adverts are also to be banned before 9pm.