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Cosmetic surgery: regulatory challenges in a global beauty market

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 13:55 authored by Danielle Griffiths, Alex Mullock
The market for cosmetic surgery tourism is growing with an increase in people travelling abroad for cosmetic surgery. While the reasons for seeking cosmetic surgery abroad may vary the most common reason is financial, but does cheaper surgery abroad carry greater risks? We explore the risks of poorly regulated cosmetic surgery to society generally before discussing how harm might be magnified in the context of cosmetic tourism, where the demand for cheaper surgery drives the market and makes surgery accessible for increasing numbers of people. This contributes to the normalisation of surgical enhancement, creating unhealthy cultural pressure to undergo invasive and risky procedures in the name of beauty. In addressing the harms of poorly regulated surgery, a number of organisations purport to provide a register of safe and ethical plastic surgeons, yet this arguably achieves little and in the absence of improved regulation the risks are likely to grow as the global market expands to meet demand. While the evidence suggests that global regulation is needed, the paper concludes that since a global regulatory response is unlikely, more robust domestic regulation may be the best approach. While domestic regulation may increase the drive towards foreign providers it may also have a symbolic effect which will reduce this drive by making people more aware of the dangers of surgery, both to society and individual physical wellbeing. Keywords Cosmetic surgery Regulation Criminal law

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Healthcare Analysis

ISSN

1065-3058

Publisher

Springer Verlag

Issue

3

Volume

26

Page range

220-234

Department affiliated with

  • Law Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2018-06-25

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2018-06-25

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2018-06-25

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