Turkish cosmetic surgery ads offering ‘permanent beauty’ banned in UK | UK News

Three Turkish plastic surgery clinics have been blasted by an advertising watchdog who have banned their ads from appearing on Facebook. 

Going abroad for cosmetic surgery has become big business, with a number of clinics, particularly in Turkey, offering all sorts of deals to tempt people over.

But following an investigation by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), a number of ads have been challenged for trivialising the nature of their procedures and providing potential customers with misleading information.

One ad from ClinicHaus Health, promised ‘one of the most successful doctors in the world’ and ‘VIP transfer 5 star package Holiday’.

Another from AsproMed challenged people to ‘unleash their inner beauty’ and promised ‘permanent beauty’.

AsproMed’s ad included the claim ‘Get a permanent beauty with Gastric Balloon’, which the ASA ruled was misleading customers by suggesting that undergoing a gastroscopy, without any other changes, would lead to permanent weight loss.

According to NHS guidance, gastric balloons are a temporary measure and should only be left in for a maximum of six months.

They also state that all bariatric surgeries require the recipient to commit to permanent lifestyle changes to prevent further weight gain, including following a diet plan, exercise and regular follow-up appointments.

This led the ASA to conclude that the clinic’s claim to offer ‘permanent beauty’ was misleading.

Another cosmetic surgery provider, Erdem Clinic, said they specialised in ‘nose jobs’ and used the tagline ‘Don’t let your nose overshadow your face’ in their ads.

The clinic also offered customers a 30 per cent reduction for multiple procedures.

Because the ad pressured consumers to undertake more cosmetic interventions than they otherwise would have, the ASA considered it had not been prepared in a socially responsible manner and therefore breached the Code.

None of the ads mentioned the need for a pre-consultation to make sure the patient was suitable for the procedure and only ClinicHaus replied to the ASA.

An ASA spokesman said: ‘We know that consumers are increasingly looking at going abroad for cosmetic surgery due to cost or ease of access and, while many people may be happy with the results, there are still inherent risks.

‘That’s why it’s so important that ads for these services aren’t misleading or irresponsible, and why this is a high priority area for the ASA.

‘Advertisers targeting people in the UK need to ensure that they’re following the Code, even if the service isn’t based here.

‘They mustn’t trivialise the decision to get cosmetic surgery or put people under pressure to take up time limited offers.

‘They should also make clear the need for a pre-consultation, including where it will take place.

‘We’re continuing to monitor the situation, with more investigations underway, and we’re preparing further regulatory action for the near future.’

All the ads were banned in their current form following the ruling.

In their response, ClinicHaus Health said they had legal certification and authorisation from the Turkish government.

As part of the medical tourism industry they had summer offers from time to time, and highlighted that their clinic was in Turkey.

Meta said they did not have any comments.

The ASA said the seriousness of the ads was compounded because there were additional potential risks associated with having surgery abroad, such as whether the doctors and treatment providers would have the same standards of care and safety as in the UK and how any arrangements for follow-up care and dealing with any complications would be managed.

The ads were also criticised for implying surgery was a decision that could be undertaken lightly as part of a holiday, without serious consideration of the nature of the procedure.

Guidance on cosmetic interventions states that marketers should not imply that invasive surgery is a ‘minor procedure’

Guidance on cosmetic interventions stated that marketers should not imply that invasive surgery was a ‘minor procedure’ or similar if that claim was likely to mislead as to the complexity or duration of the operation, the pain experienced either during or after the operation, the length of the recovery time or the potential side-effects.

Ads should not mislead as to the likely commitment required for pre-consultation, surgery, recovery and post-operative assessments.

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