South Leicestershire MP, Alberto Costa, has called on the Government to introduce a new minimum age law for those receiving cosmetic surgery procedures.
Alberto led a debate in the House of Commons earlier this week in which, alongside the introduction of a ban for those under the age of 18 years old seeking cosmetic procedures unless medically required, he asked the Government to introduce greater regulation and protections for those receiving non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as dermal lip fillers.
Alberto cited the case of his constituent Rachel Knappier who suffered a terrible injury following a botched dermal lip filler administered by a beautician who was unregulated and unqualified - he also raised the issue of the impact of social media in influencing young people toward similar procedures.
Alberto had previously raised this matter with the Prime Minister and at a previous Westminster Hall Debate at the end of January. His debate earlier this week coincided with the launch of a new Government campaign designed to inform the public of the importance of seeking professional advice when considering having dermal fillers, botox injections and other aspects of cosmetic surgery.
Alberto said, “I was very pleased to again raise this tremendously important matter in the House of Commons on Tuesday. The lack of regulation in this industry is hugely concerning; many people may not be aware of the stark lack of proper protections in place for my constituents and others receiving these treatments. For instance, at present, there is no minimum age requirement for cosmetic procedures, there are no rules in place to govern who can administer these procedures and there are no laws concerning the make-up of the materials being injected, it is truly shocking”.
Alberto concluded, “While I welcome the Government’s new awareness campaign, unfortunately it does not go far enough. There are clear and obvious gaps in the legislation in this industry, and these must be addressed for the protection of consumers. We must also be mindful that social media has a huge influence on procedures such as dermal fillers and botox; these are predominantly aimed at the young and impressionable in society, hence why the introduction of a minimum age for these procedures would be a great step towards tackling the pressures many young people feel about how they look, and the perceived need to aspire to particular appearance ideals. I will continue to champion this issue in order to press for regulation to ensure my constituents and others can safely purchase and receive these procedures with peace of mind”.
Alberto is pictured above speaking in the House of Commons.
