By Rosie Wilson

Think Over Before You Make Over, the new initiative that has launched nationwide today, aims to educate potential patients about making a balanced decision on cosmetic surgery.

The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) is calling on healthcare professionals across the country to support their campaign and raise awareness for the need for careful consideration prior to undergoing a cosmetic procedure. The campaign has come on the back of a survey conducted by BAPRAS, which found that thousands of people are putting themselves at risk after not taking the proper precautions before having cosmetic surgery.

The survey found that 2 million people will be considering or undergoing cosmetic surgery in the next year, but that almost a quarter of these (24%) will not check their surgeons credentials and ensure that they are properly qualified to conduct their procedure. More shockingly still, the survey revealed that 21% of all patients aren’t fully aware of the risks associated with their treatment, and a further 22% aren’t even sure of the potential outcomes of their procedure before going ahead with it.

The survey also revealed more than half of patients (51%) who rush through the process and have surgery less than two weeks after their initial consultation are actually less confident with their appearance afterwards.

BAPRAS identified a list of influences on people undertaking the decision to have cosmetic surgery, with over half of patients (53%) citing celebrity treatments as one of the reasons it makes it more aspirations. Furthermore, 45% of respondents claimed they felt social pressure to undergo surgery, and 51% felt that marketing from clinics made them more likely to consider a treatment.

The campaign aims to help anyone who is considering surgery to assess whether it is the right choice for them, and includes a range of free guides from some of the UK’s most experienced plastic surgeons and practitioners. BAPRAS says the best way for individual practitioners and clinics to show support for the campaign is to display the campaign logo on their website or in their surgeries.

BAPRAS president and consultant plastic surgeon, Nigel Mercer, said:

“Cosmetic surgery is not something to be taken lightly and yet thousands of people are putting themselves at serious risk by rushing into major procedures recklessly, without consideration for their own safety. In fact, many people spend more time choosing an electrician then they do a surgeon. Think Over Before You Make Over is not here to promote cosmetic surgery; we recognise that thousands of people will choose to have surgery this year and we want all these people to read our campaign advice so they can make informed choices and protect themselves from bad practice.”

For more information about the campaign, please visit: www.bapras.org.uk/thinkover