Schoolgirls should be banned from getting cosmetic procedures amid fears thousands are being left permanently damaged, experts say.
The Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) said it should be illegal for under-18s to have lip fillers, Botox and other treatments, warning that existing regulation in the cosmetic industry is “not fit for purpose”.
Growing numbers of young women are being targeted on social media and encouraged to have their lips injected with fillers to achieve the “Love Island look”. But the treatments - often carried out in back rooms of hair salons and in customers’ living rooms - can lead to extreme swelling, infections and allergic reactions.
A report by the RSPH warned a lack of regulation means anyone can set up shop offering cosmetic procedures such as Botox, fillers, tattoos and piercings.
Duncan Stephenson, director of external affairs for the charity, said: “A desire for quick-fixes among the 'selfie generation' has led to an increase in demand for non-surgical cosmetic procedures, especially lip fillers."