The Scary Truth About The Cosmetic Surgery Industry: How Can You Help?

If you have ever considered getting Botox, laser hair removal or fillers, you must read this

Have you ever considered trying out Botox, or perhaps experimenting with a laser treatment or fillers? Have you been tempted by liposuction? There are some very important issues you need to consider before going ahead.

In the wake of the PIP breast implant scandal (it emerged that 47,000 British women had been given faulty implants), Marie Claire's editor, Trish Halpin, was asked to sit on an advisory committee set up by the government to help them establish how people opting for cosmetic treatments could best be protected.

Sign our #TakeAGoodLook petition

Trish was shocked to hear that the industry is almost entirely unregulated and unaccountable, and that any type of doctor - from a GP to a ophthalmologist - can perform cosmetic surgery. On top of this, anyone can buy a laser machine and set up a laser treatment business, and fillers are easily available online.

Trish said: 'I consider myself to be well-informed, but I had no idea this sector was so poorly regulated. It's remarkable to think that consumers have so little protection, even though there are major risks involved, not just with cosmetic surgery, but also with procedures such as Botox and fillers, which we've come to view as everyday beauty treatments.'

This worringly relaxed approach to cosmetic surgery has prompted us to launch the Take A Good Look Campaign, which aims to empower and inform women.

As part of our campaign, we want better training, a body to be set up that women can turn to if things go wrong as well as a ban on manipulative advertising that preys on vulnerable women.

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.