by A post on Instagram shows a woman’s back in tight blue leggings, her lower body taking up most of the frame. The words “Temptingly sexy curves forward … Ready to turn heads and break hearts?” are written in the headline. It’s from a company offering Brits the chance to get a Brazilian butt lift while they’re on holiday abroad.
The ad is one of thousands on social media promoting cosmetic surgery tourism by companies in Turkey to UK residents, including gastric band operations, hair transplants and Brazilian Butt lifts (BBL) – a process that involves to inject fat taken from other parts of the body. the buttocks – in a trend that has sparked safety concerns among doctors in Britain.
A Guardian analysis of Facebook’s ad library found nearly 2,700 ads promoting BBLs alone since May 2022. Many took a similar format: advertising tours as part of a vacation.
It is such a big problem that the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has issued a warning to overseas cosmetics suppliers, setting out strict rules regarding their promotion. The watchdog said it had recorded an increase in the number of ads targeting UK consumers for these services, with many examples of advertising rules being broken.
The UK’s health system is under severe pressure from the coronavirus pandemic, workforce shortages and a chronic lack of social care capacity. People are paying the most for private healthcare, including spending up to £3,200 to remove a cataract and £15,075 for a new hip, amid growing frustration at NHS waiting lists.
Hundreds of thousands are choosing to go abroad. The Office for National Statistics estimates that 248,000 UK residents traveled abroad for treatment in 2019, up from 120,000 in 2015.
The main destination is Turkey. In 2022, the country welcomed 1.2 million people for healthcare procedures; Medical tourism is set to bring £2bn into the country each year.
On the cosmetic surgery side of things, social media and reality TV shows like Love Island have promoted a certain aesthetic. People are keen to improve their appearance, but at a cheaper price than what is available in Britain. In June last year, as Love Island aired, searches for “Turkish teeth” – slang for dental veneers obtained on a cosmetic holiday in the country – increased by 10,000% overnight. It came after contestant Jess Harding described her type as a “pretty boy with Turkish teeth”.
As a result, more ads are appearing on Instagram and Facebook to appeal to consumers. But experts are concerned.
Nora Nugent, vice-president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, said: “Turkish clinics advertise package deals including hotels and flights, and patients see what looks like a reasonable package. But what you’re not supposed to do is promote it as a holiday or trivialize what it’s about. You are not meant to trivialize risk and declare these operations as holidays.”
She added: “It’s not meant to be glamorised … or to promise unrealistic results, such as a guaranteed breast size.”
The ASA recommends that advertisements should take into account that the decision to undergo the procedure may be trivial by combining surgery with a holiday.
The Committee on Advertising Practice (CAP) – the industry body responsible for the UK’s advertising codes, administered by the ASA – has also started enhanced monitoring to identify and tackle inappropriate advertising. Shahriar Coupal, director of CAP, said: “Every year, many people go abroad and have positive experiences of cosmetic surgery. But as more companies advertise to UK customers, we’re also seeing more examples of the rules being broken. This has to stop.”
One ad from Clinichub – a company promoting itself as “your trusted health tourism agency in Turkey” – which began running in January, says: “Change with confidence through BBL, breast surgery, lumps, rhinoplasty and more. Enjoy the pinnacle of service when your trip is not just a procedure, but a luxurious stay in five-star hotels, surrounded by the magical beauty of Istanbul.” Mol an Clinic did not comment.
Another post advertised in February by Dr. Süleyman Özer, who advertises online as “The Best Doctor in Turkey”, asked consumers: “Don’t you also like to be happy?” He continues: “With modern technology and reliable surgical methods, you can achieve the look you’ve always dreamed of.” The ad also includes a photo promoting BBLs, bulbs and rhinoceros at 30% off. Özer did not respond to attempts to contact him for comment.
In 2022, the ASA upheld a complaint about an email ad for cosmetic surgery that claimed a procedure could improve the well-being and condition of the skin, increase energy levels and help customers get more sleep.
Health minister Maria Caulfield said: “All cosmetic procedures carry risks, and this is an important step in tackling irresponsible advertising aimed at vulnerable people in the UK.”
At least 25 British citizens have died during medical tourism trips to Turkey since January 2019, according to the Foreign Office. BBL has the highest risk of all cosmetic surgeries – at least one death in every 4,000 procedures.
Last year UK government officials met with their Turkish counterparts after the death of a woman sparked concern that people may underestimate the risks of pursuing cosmetic surgery abroad. Melissa Kerr, 31, from Gorleston in Norfolk, traveled to the private Medicana Haznedar hospital for buttock augmentation surgery in 2019. She died in hospital on the day of the surgery.
Nugent welcomed the ASA’s warning about cosmetic surgery tourism ads but questioned how enforceable the UK advertising watchdog’s action would be against companies based overseas “and outside its area of jurisdiction”.
She said: “These ads, especially on Instagram and especially with younger patients because they use these platforms to research procedures. Companies set them up and people ask to join. They are also being run for patients in the UK, which is another way social media is influencing cosmetic surgery decision-making.”
