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PLASTIC SURGERY NEWS, SURGERY NEWS, COSMETIC SURGERY NEWS Dcember 2004 NEWS  |
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| Sat 13 Nov 2004 |
All we want for Christmas is plastic surgery
KAREN MCVEIGH
PLASTIC surgeons have issued a stark warning over the dangers of "gift surgery" after the growing popularity of cosmetic enhancement prompted a leading firm to offer vouchers for operations.
Transform, which caused controversy by showing graphic procedures on Channel Five’s Cosmetic Surgery Live, is expecting a festive rush for the vouchers, which range from £100 to £4,000 and can be used for anything from botox injections to nose jobs and breast implants.
The British Association of Plastic Surgeons (BAPS) and the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) have both condemned the move. "From a marketing point of view, it’s a great ploy, but from an ethical stance, it’s putting people under pressure to accept something they may not want," said Dr Chris Caddy, the honorary secretary of the BAPS.
However, Iona Runcie is happy that she was right to allow her daughter, Sacha, to have a breast enhancement. Sacha had asked her parents if she could have the operation as an 18th birthday present, but they thought she was too young. When she was 21, they decided she could go ahead with the operation - and her mother, 41, went along and had it, too.
The Runcies, from Stranraer, are among a growing number of women indulging in "gift surgery" - asking loved ones to pay for cosmetic enhancements instead of a traditional birthday or Christmas present.
"Sacha had asked for the operation when she was 18," said Mrs Runcie, a body artist. "She was a very outgoing girl who loved parties and dressing up and was otherwise quite curvy, but had a flat chest and wore padded bras. She hated stripping off when we went on holiday."
When Sacha - and her mum - went under the knife for her 21st birthday, both operations were shown on Cosmetic Surgery Live.
"I’d always had a good figure, but after my second daughter, Ebony, was born [she is now 14], it went a little bit so I thought I’d get it done too," said Mrs Runcie.
The operations would normally have cost £8,000 but mother and daughter were given a discount for appearing on the programme.
Mrs Runcie has no problems with plastic surgery vouchers as gifts. "If you want something in life, you should just go for it," she said. But she warned: "If someone is going to spend that amount of money, they need to be sure the person they are giving the voucher to is absolutely sure about the surgery.
"It’s the sort of gift a husband would get for his wife if he’d known she had wanted it for years. My husband is a hard-working man but he was happy for us both to have it done and thinks it looks fantastic."
However, Mrs Runcie has some sympathy with critics who fear the popularisation of plastic surgery brings serious dangers. Once the preserve of wealthy, vain Hollywood stars, cosmetic surgery is now soaring in popularity in private clinics across the UK. Cheap credit, easier access and a rash of TV programmes, including Cosmetic Surgery Live, MTV’s I Want A Famous Face and the US drama Nip/Tuck, have ensured any remaining taboos over plastic surgery have disappeared.
Dr Caddy explained his concerns, saying: "Both ourselves and the BAAPS have concerns over the commercial ploys used by groups like Transform and the Harley Medical Group.
"They prey upon unsuspecting individuals who may not be fully advised of what their options are and what the potential pitfalls are. When it goes well, it’s fantastic. But the other side of the coin is Facelifts From Hell and it’s often the NHS consultants who need to pick those patients up and rebuild them.
"Any cosmetic surgery is a serious procedure and carries risks. It is not like going to the hairdresser or the beauty therapist. Even injectable fillers like botox and restylane, which are relatively problem-free, are not without risk, as they can provoke an allergic reaction."
He hit out at "cosmetic cowboys" who prey on the vulnerable by failing to fully advise clients of the alternatives, pitfalls and problems that such surgery can cause.
Mrs Runcie can see the downside. "There can be lots of complications and you need to be aware how people might react," she said. "Most men have been fine and said ‘good on you’ but I have had some bitchy comments from women, who say ‘mine are natural’. I would advise women to get counselling beforehand to ensure they are going to be able to cope afterwards.
"One of my friends had her breasts done six months ago, but she is still not happy with it. Some people cannot deal with the feeling that it’s a foreign body inside their body.
"We have also had issues with the older members of the family not accepting it and it can be hard for Ebony when her friends know her mum’s had plastic surgery. Stranraer is a small place and everyone knows what we had done."
Dr Caddy says new laws make it more difficult for "cowboy" operations, but he is still wary of what he calls the "significant conversion rate" from inquiry to the operating theatre offered by commercial companies.
Patrick Mallucci, of BAAPS, a consultant plastic surgeon, is also worried by the vouchers scheme. "It portrays surgery as a commodity, the same as a book, perfume or a handbag," he said. "It trivialises plastic surgery and oversteps the limits of what is acceptable and responsible. It is yet another ploy which does no favours to plastic surgery in the eyes of the public."
Mr Mallucci said adverts for cosmetic surgery were acceptable, but vouchers were "preying on a vulnerable market". "These are confusing times for the public. They are bombarded with television and radio shows and it is very difficult for an uninformed person to see the wood for the trees," he said.
Liz Dale, of Transform, defended the vouchers. "We only started doing it because men were asking about it," she said. "It is mostly for people who were coming to us anyway - a husband who knows his wife comes in for a couple of botox injections a year.
"We wouldn’t just drag someone off the street and do a liposuction. We always say, come in and see a non-surgical doctor, so that they would see the full risks and complications."
But, as one plastic surgeon said about the gift vouchers: "Women should think very carefully. Plastic surgery is for life, not just for Christmas."
WHAT POPULAR OPERATIONS COST
Breast enhancement: £3,500-£5,000: Most popular operation. Implants available in different shapes and sizes; silicon and saline-only implants now used. Usually means one or two nights in hospital; can be combined with a breast uplift.
Breast reduction: £3,750-£5,500: Can make breasts smaller, lighter and firmer; up to five nights in hospital.
Liposuction: £1,800-£4,500 Removes fat from thighs, stomachs, buttocks, hips, knees and ankles.
Tummy tuck: £3,900-£5,000: Popular after childbirth.
Nose reshaping: £3,100-£4,000; Eyelid surgery: upper lids £1,600-£2,250; lower lids £1,900-£2,650; both £2,850-£3,700
Facelift: £4,300-£6,000
Lifts up sagging skin, making face tighter and smoother.
Anti-wrinkling : £250-£500: Botox is most popular for wrinkles in the forehead and ‘crow’s feet’ at the corners of the eyes.
Transform, which caused controversy by showing graphic procedures on Channel Five’s Cosmetic Surgery Live, is expecting a festive rush for the vouchers, which range from £100 to £4,000 and can be used for anything from botox injections to nose jobs and breast implants.
The British Association of Plastic Surgeons (BAPS) and the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) have both condemned the move. "From a marketing point of view, it’s a great ploy, but from an ethical stance, it’s putting people under pressure to accept something they may not want," said Dr Chris Caddy, the honorary secretary of the BAPS.
However, Iona Runcie is happy that she was right to allow her daughter, Sacha, to have a breast enhancement. Sacha had asked her parents if she could have the operation as an 18th birthday present, but they thought she was too young. When she was 21, they decided she could go ahead with the operation - and her mother, 41, went along and had it, too.
The Runcies, from Stranraer, are among a growing number of women indulging in "gift surgery" - asking loved ones to pay for cosmetic enhancements instead of a traditional birthday or Christmas present.
"Sacha had asked for the operation when she was 18," said Mrs Runcie, a body artist. "She was a very outgoing girl who loved parties and dressing up and was otherwise quite curvy, but had a flat chest and wore padded bras. She hated stripping off when we went on holiday."
When Sacha - and her mum - went under the knife for her 21st birthday, both operations were shown on Cosmetic Surgery Live.
"I’d always had a good figure, but after my second daughter, Ebony, was born [she is now 14], it went a little bit so I thought I’d get it done too," said Mrs Runcie.
The operations would normally have cost £8,000 but mother and daughter were given a discount for appearing on the programme.
Mrs Runcie has no problems with plastic surgery vouchers as gifts. "If you want something in life, you should just go for it," she said. But she warned: "If someone is going to spend that amount of money, they need to be sure the person they are giving the voucher to is absolutely sure about the surgery.
"It’s the sort of gift a husband would get for his wife if he’d known she had wanted it for years. My husband is a hard-working man but he was happy for us both to have it done and thinks it looks fantastic."
However, Mrs Runcie has some sympathy with critics who fear the popularisation of plastic surgery brings serious dangers. Once the preserve of wealthy, vain Hollywood stars, cosmetic surgery is now soaring in popularity in private clinics across the UK. Cheap credit, easier access and a rash of TV programmes, including Cosmetic Surgery Live, MTV’s I Want A Famous Face and the US drama Nip/Tuck, have ensured any remaining taboos over plastic surgery have disappeared.
Dr Caddy explained his concerns, saying: "Both ourselves and the BAAPS have concerns over the commercial ploys used by groups like Transform and the Harley Medical Group.
"They prey upon unsuspecting individuals who may not be fully advised of what their options are and what the potential pitfalls are. When it goes well, it’s fantastic. But the other side of the coin is Facelifts From Hell and it’s often the NHS consultants who need to pick those patients up and rebuild them.
"Any cosmetic surgery is a serious procedure and carries risks. It is not like going to the hairdresser or the beauty therapist. Even injectable fillers like botox and restylane, which are relatively problem-free, are not without risk, as they can provoke an allergic reaction."
He hit out at "cosmetic cowboys" who prey on the vulnerable by failing to fully advise clients of the alternatives, pitfalls and problems that such surgery can cause.
Mrs Runcie can see the downside. "There can be lots of complications and you need to be aware how people might react," she said. "Most men have been fine and said ‘good on you’ but I have had some bitchy comments from women, who say ‘mine are natural’. I would advise women to get counselling beforehand to ensure they are going to be able to cope afterwards.
"One of my friends had her breasts done six months ago, but she is still not happy with it. Some people cannot deal with the feeling that it’s a foreign body inside their body.
"We have also had issues with the older members of the family not accepting it and it can be hard for Ebony when her friends know her mum’s had plastic surgery. Stranraer is a small place and everyone knows what we had done."
Dr Caddy says new laws make it more difficult for "cowboy" operations, but he is still wary of what he calls the "significant conversion rate" from inquiry to the operating theatre offered by commercial companies.
Patrick Mallucci, of BAAPS, a consultant plastic surgeon, is also worried by the vouchers scheme. "It portrays surgery as a commodity, the same as a book, perfume or a handbag," he said. "It trivialises plastic surgery and oversteps the limits of what is acceptable and responsible. It is yet another ploy which does no favours to plastic surgery in the eyes of the public."
Mr Mallucci said adverts for cosmetic surgery were acceptable, but vouchers were "preying on a vulnerable market". "These are confusing times for the public. They are bombarded with television and radio shows and it is very difficult for an uninformed person to see the wood for the trees," he said.
Liz Dale, of Transform, defended the vouchers. "We only started doing it because men were asking about it," she said. "It is mostly for people who were coming to us anyway - a husband who knows his wife comes in for a couple of botox injections a year.
"We wouldn’t just drag someone off the street and do a liposuction. We always say, come in and see a non-surgical doctor, so that they would see the full risks and complications."
But, as one plastic surgeon said about the gift vouchers: "Women should think very carefully. Plastic surgery is for life, not just for Christmas."
WHAT POPULAR OPERATIONS COST
Breast enhancement: £3,500-£5,000: Most popular operation. Implants available in different shapes and sizes; silicon and saline-only implants now used. Usually means one or two nights in hospital; can be combined with a breast uplift.
Breast reduction: £3,750-£5,500: Can make breasts smaller, lighter and firmer; up to five nights in hospital.
Liposuction: £1,800-£4,500 Removes fat from thighs, stomachs, buttocks, hips, knees and ankles.
Tummy tuck: £3,900-£5,000: Popular after childbirth.
Nose reshaping: £3,100-£4,000; Eyelid surgery: upper lids £1,600-£2,250; lower lids £1,900-£2,650; both £2,850-£3,700
Facelift: £4,300-£6,000
Lifts up sagging skin, making face tighter and smoother.
Anti-wrinkling : £250-£500: Botox is most popular for wrinkles in the forehead and ‘crow’s feet’ at the corners of the eyes.
This article:
http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1309732004
