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    1. Health and Fitness

    What YOU Should Know About Cosmetic Intervention...

    We think you would be shocked if you knew the dangers women face as a result of the poorly regulated cosmetic-intervention industry in the UK. That’s why Marie Claire has launched the #TakeAGoodLook campaign

    By Suzannah Ramsdale
    Published 15 April 2013 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Take A Good Look
    Take A Good Look
    (Image credit: Getty)
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    We think you would be shocked if you knew the dangers women face as a result of the poorly regulated cosmetic-intervention industry in the UK. That’s why Marie Claire has launched the #TakeAGoodLook campaign

    We think women should be fully informed so that they are empowered to make the right decisions for them. If you have a procedure and something goes wrong, we want you to know where to turn for help and not be made to feel like a silly, vain woman. If you agree with this, sign this petition today.

    Sign our #TakeAGoodLook petition here.

    Here’s what we think you should know:

    The Industry Is Unregulated And Unaccountable

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    Cosmetic surgery and treatments such as Botox, fillers and microdermabrasion – which we have come to view as everyday beauty treatments – are potentially dangerous procedures that urgently need to be regulated by the government. Currently the industry is almost entirely unregulated and unaccountable – yet it takes up to £3 billion a year, mostly from women.

    Anyone Can Call Themselves A Cosmetic Practitioner – Even Without Training

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    Currently the industry is almost entirely unregulated, meaning that any type of doctor, from a GP to a microbiologist, can perform cosmetic surgery, even if they have had no training. In addition, anyone can buy equipment such as laser machines and call themselves a cosmetic practitioner, while fillers are easily available online.

    Hard Sales Techniques Manipulate Vulnerable Women

    The Marie Claire campaign demands a ban on hard sales techniques such as interest-free finance and two-for-the-price-of-one deals, as well as manipulative advertising that preys on women’s vulnerabilities.

    What to read next
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    Stigma Prevents Many Unhappy Customers Speaking Out

    Without proper training, the results of cosmetic intervention can be disastrous: two out of three surgeons surveyed by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons say they have seen patients suffering complications from botched temporary fillers. Current figures for bad results could be the tip of the iceberg because of the shame and stigma attached to cosmetic surgery and embarrassment at coming forward.

    We Think Women Need To Be Empowered To Make Good Choices

    Whatever your views on cosmetic surgery, we are sure you agree that women should be empowered to make the right choices – and if they do go ahead with treatments they should be kept safe to prevent another disaster like the PIP implant scandal when as many as 47,000 British women were given faulty breast implants.

    The #TakeAGoodLook Campaign Demands:

    • a register for practitioners and procedures • standardised information for patients • a ban on special offers and procedures as prizes • a code of practice for advertising • training courses for non-surgical procedures • fillers to be made prescription-only • a national breast implant registry • an impartial organisation to turn to when things go wrong

    So please, sign our petition if you think women should be empowered, informed and safe about cosmetic procedures.

    Sign our #TakeAGoodLook petition here.

    Suzannah Ramsdale
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