How the search for perfection may be placing young Scots at risk

There is concern that the growing numbers of teenagers and young people in Scotland who are opting to have cosmetic surgery could lead to a rise in the number of no win, no fee claims being made for negligence associated with botched cosmetic surgery procedures.

In fact, it has been estimated that in recent years around 1,000 Scottish youngsters have undergone cosmetic procedures on the NHS. While some of these operations have been for clear-cut corrective reasons, an increasing number are being performed on youngsters who are struggling with body issues as a result of bullying by their peers.

Breast enlargements and breast reductions are two of the most common procedures, something which has led a number of experts to warn that operating on girls whose bodies are still developing can be both physically and psychologically damaging.

Celebrity pressures
It is not only peer bullying that is a problem. The consensus among psychological health professionals is that media pressures play a part too. Glorified images of celebrities such as Jordan, Sophie Anderton, Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne, all of who are said to have undergone cosmetic procedures, are creating pressure on teenagers to conform to popular ideals of aesthetic perfection.

Information disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act has revealed that Scottish NHS hospitals have been performing cosmetic breast surgery on children as young as 13. Disclosures made under the same request also revealed rhinoplasty to be increasingly popular with bullied Scottish teenagers.

Experts urge caution
Adam Searle, President of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, offered a stark warning about performing procedures on children when they are so young, saying, "There are obvious situations in which plastic surgery may assist a teenager with obvious deformity, for example marked asymmetry of their breasts or correction of a substantial nasal deformity. "The complex mix of adolescence, self esteem, peer pressure and surgical treatments, however, carries potential for problems."

His prognosis for the future offers little reassurance, "With the media pressures on teenagers to look good there may be an increase in requests for plastic surgery in the future."

Going abroad.
There are also worries that an increasing number of Scottish teenagers who are feeling the effects of bullying and low self-esteem could be tempted to try and have their cosmetic procedures abroad.

Regulation of plastic surgery is sometimes poor in these countries, consultations short and unscrupulous, and the chances of making a no win, no fee claim in the event of something going wrong very slim.

A consultant accredited by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons recently told the BBC, "Every day we will see people who have had problems from operations. In some cases you can do revisional surgery, but in some cases they are scarred for life."

"Someone I saw went to a clinic in Eastern Europe. She wanted an operation on her eyelid to tighten it up. She chose her surgeon very carefully and got a professor of ocular surgery.

"But when I saw her she had a scar halfway up the lid and cheek. It brought the lower lid down and the whites of her eyes were showing. It was hideous.

"Her eyelid will not close properly and she is at risk of scarring to the eye. She can't afford to have the restoration work done privately, so I am having to do it on the NHS."

No win, no fee compensation
YouClaim are the no win, no fee compensation experts and our panel of personal injury solicitors contains a specialist team of medical negligence experts.

With extensive experience of settling claims resulting from botched cosmetic surgery, they will be pleased to offer their services to you.

Claiming with us is, win or lose, always completely free of legal costs and fees. In addition, our 100% compensation promise means that we never take a cut from any of our winning clients.

To find out more, you may wish to fill out an online claim form or request a call back.

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