teens as young as 15 are being scarred by botched cosmetic surgery and fillers

Social media trends and algorithms are influencing young people’s decisions to get Botox and fillers (Credits: Getty Images)

Social media has sparked a rise in children being injected with botulinum toxin (Botox) and dermal fillers,leaving them scarred and needing emergency corrective surgery.

Advice Direct Scotland (ADS) is calling for tighter restrictions on cosmetic procedures after complaints of ‘ghost’ practitioners who visit teenagers’ homes.

Social media has sparked a rise in younger people having surgeries with algorithms promoting cheaper surgeries and making Botox injections seem to be as normal as getting your nails done.

In a submission to members of the Scottish Parliament,the charity said it has dealt with 430 cases related to botched treatments in the past two years costing customers £192,000.

ADS said they have received complaints about practitioners carrying out dermal filler and Botox injections on customers as young as 15.

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This did not work,so the customer had to pay extra to have some of the filler dissolved.

Ashton told Metro how this dismissive nature of practitioners is common due to how many of them ‘operate like ghosts’ where they come to your house or have a pop-up salon.

Her piece of advice for under-18s looking to get a cosmetic procedure done is: ‘Don’t have them done. You don’t need them done.

‘It’s actually illegal for you to have these procedures done,so anyone willing to inject you under 18 and not verify your age is somebody who’s probably really unscrupulous.’

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: ‘It is vital we see safe standards across this industry,that is why we have brought forward legislation to regulate this sector,which includes an offence to provide non-surgical procedures to people under the age of 18.

‘Our aim is to ensure there is robust and proportionate regulation in place so that anyone who chooses to have non-surgical procedures can do so safely.’

Has your child had a botched cosmetic procedure done under the age of 18? If so,reach out to me at [email protected].