New bill seeks to ban under 18s from having cosmetic Botox and fillers

A new proposed law seeks to ban under 18s from having dangerous cosmetic procedures such as Botox and lip fillers. MP for Seven Oaks Laura Trott is pushing for a bill which makes it illegal for children to have cosmetic fillers done unless they can prove they are 18 and above.

According to MP Trott, the bill aims to stop the dangerous and unnecessary non-medical procedures that can ruin children's lives.

"We know there are huge pressures on young people to conform to the unrealistic and unattainable ideals they see on social media," Trott said.

"However, despite all the dangers there is currently no legal age limit for dermal filler or Botox procedures. This means any 15-year-old schoolgirl could just walk into a shop and get their lips injected by someone with no qualifications."

The MP warned of shocking statistics which only reflects the tip of the iceberg of this growing cosmetic menace around the globe.

A new research conducted over the past 12 months was published by campaign group Save Face which revealed a 73 percent surge in complaints related to botched cosmetic jobs, the BBC reported.

Their numbers showed that out of those under 18s who had cosmetic procedures done by unregulated cowboy practitioners, 42 were lip filler procedures, 2 had cheek fillers and one had a non-surgical nose job.

Trott added that her bill will ensure that only a duly licensed medical practitioner will be qualified to do such procedures.

The new legislation, "Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Bill", calls for fillers to be made illegal for those under the age of 18. Social media sites found to be advertising fillers will be shut down and a government-backed central register for approved practitioners will be set up.

Save Face director, Ashton Collins said,"This legislation is vital to protect young people from being exploited by unscrupulous practitioners. It makes no sense that it is illegal to tattoo a person under the age of 18 but it is not illegal for practitioners to provide these extremely high-risk treatments to potentially vulnerable and insecure young people."

Labour MPs Carolyn Harris and Judith Cummins, both co-chairs of the APPG on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing have launched an inquiry on these non-surgical procedures citing their concerns as to how there are no age restrictions being followed for Botox and fillers.

The bill will receive its second reading in the House of Commons tomorrow.