Beauty for Profit? The Ugly Side of the Cosmetic Surgery Industry
Photo courtesy: Paul Tulley
With the rise of social media, reality TV and our everlasting fascination with Hollywood, beauty standards have become increasingly unpredictable. It is no surprise that, from the turn of the century, demands for cosmetic surgery procedures have increased exponentially as many try to conform to an ever-changing image of bodily ‘perfection’. There’s botox, buccal fat removal, eyebrow lifts, breast lifts, arm lifts, chin fillers, cheek fillers, lip fillers, rhinoplasty, labiaplasty and abdominoplasty to name a few. Whilst many have achieved their desired results and emerged happier, there appears to be an alarming amount of misinformation and a lack of awareness of the risks of undergoing these procedures - increasing numbers of people are being left with semi-permanent injuries and deep regret.
Alongside a huge increase in the demand for cosmetic procedures among women aged 30-39 and 55 and older - who are already the dominant demographic - demand amongst men aged 35-50 and, even more worryingly, amongst teenagers, has risen. Renowned cosmetic doctor Michael Prager, the ‘king of Botox’, has claimed that young people have ‘lost the plot’ with the insatiable desire to look like a filter under the influence of highly popular influencers.
Botox, otherwise known as botulinum toxin, is one of the ‘most poisonous biological substances known’. It is becoming increasingly normalised for all ages and treated as a casual endeavour, as even teenagers are undergoing the procedure. What some might not know is that side effects include: headaches, flu-like symptoms, difficulty swallowing, blurred vision, droopy eyelids, crooked brows, pain, swelling or bruising at the injection site, anaphylactic shock, and, most ironically of all, increased wrinkles.
The gravity of allowing such a substance to enter your bloodstream appears at odds with the rise of ‘Botox parties’, where people casually gather in a friend’s home to receive injections. The source of the Botox and the qualifications of the practitioner often remain ambiguous. There are currently no licensing laws in the UK for administering Botox, with an overwhelming number of trainee practitioners retaining the experience of only a one-day foundation course. Reported accidents include necrosis (death of tissue), strokes, accidental injection into a blood vessel, and even blindness.
Lip fillers are another hugely popular procedure, with the worldwide valuation of the lip filler market reaching $1.3 billion in 2022. To parallel this, demand for getting lip filler dissolved has also skyrocketed - Love Island’s Molly-Mae Hague and Faye Winter have expressed concerns over the appearance of their lips and a desire to return to a more ‘natural’ look. Again, getting filler dissolved is not a risk-free procedure, as hyaluronidase (often derived from bull sperm) can potentially destroy healthy tissue and leave permanently disfigured lips. Unfortunately for many, increasing amounts of evidence suggest that dermal fillers never fully break down, instead migrating to other parts of the body, and there is further uncertainty regarding their long-term effects.
It is sad but true that many stand to profit from this rampant increase in demand for permanent alterations, arising from physical insecurities or social pressure. Many dental chains now offer ‘facial aesthetics treatments’ in addition to dental care, taking advantage of the boom of Botox and fillers in the UK, which is valued at around £2.75 billion. The alarming ease at which fillers can be obtained online - from as little as £30 - further shows the lack of ethics at play. It is time that people are no longer viewed as products to be improved upon, but as unique individuals to be appreciated.
Notwithstanding the risks, who can blame women for turning to these procedures? The anti-ageing narrative pervading the beauty industry would make one think that the remotest sign of age is close to a criminal offence. As described by Helena Bonham Carter in a BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour interview: ‘It’s a dirty word, ageing. We’re all obsessed with it, it’s sort of pathological. It’s almost a crime, the shame attached’. Long propagated by Hollywood, the idea that women ‘expire’ at 40 certainly does not help to alleviate fears that age correlates to a lack of value in Western society.
However, with increased platforms for independent filmmakers, it appears things may change for the better in the near future. As older women are granted more screen time, could we see a shift in perspective? Maybe lines in faces will be viewed as a portrait of experiences rather than blemishes to be erased? Perhaps we will come to view age as a blessing rather than a curse?