As you read this, children as young as 13 are being exposed to content from celebrities and influencers on Instagram that show the effects of cosmetic surgery and cosmetic procedures.

Why is this a problem?

If young people see videos and images every day from online personalities who position themselves as relatable and aspirational, but who have been cosmetically or surgically enhanced, those images begin to look normal. And this normalisation can lead to an increased pressure to look the same way, which can cause anxiety, depression, lack of confidence, body dysmorphia and other mental health-related issues.

In fact, the 2017 #StatusofMind report from the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), found that of the top five social media platforms, Instagram has the most negative impact on young people’s mental health.

So, what do we want? We, Cosmetic Surgery Solicitors and Save Face, want you to sign a petition to urge the UK government to require Instagram (owned by Facebook), to do more to protect young people from having unfiltered access to content that can undermine their self-esteem and stimulate interest in surgical procedures that are unlikely to be suitable for them.

How would this work? We want to work with the UK government and Instagram to find a practical and effective long-term solution. Our ideas are:

• Instagram could implement an age restriction of 21 on content from verified ‘blue tick’ celebrities and influencers who advertise, feature or demonstrate the effects of cosmetic surgery and procedures.

What is a 'blue tick'? A blue tick, or a verified badge, means that Instagram has confirmed that the account is the authentic presence of the public figure, celebrity or global brand it represents.

• Account holders to place a sensitive content warning over specific images that depict cosmetic enhancements, which can only be lifted by users who are aged 21 and over.
• Until the legislation is changed, introduce a dedicated hashtag #CosmeticFilter for account holders to voluntarily use to let followers know that the image advertises, features or demonstrates the effects of cosmetic surgery and procedures.

Please show your support by signing and sharing this petition.

Follow us

Instagram: @save_face and @cosmetic_surgery_solicitors

Twitter: @SaveFaceUK and @cosmeticclaims

Find out more at www.cosmeticsurgerysolicitors.co.uk and www.saveface.co.uk

Please use #CosmeticFilter to show your support for the petition.

About Cosmetic Surgery Solicitors
We want to help people to make better, more informed decisions when it comes to choosing to undergo a cosmetic procedure or a cosmetic surgery. And if your procedure goes wrong due to medical negligence, we're here to help. Cosmetic Surgery Solicitors is one of the UK’s leading cosmetic surgery claims and beauty negligence solicitors, with a success rate of 95% for claims pursued after obtaining medical evidence.

www.cosmeticsurgerysolicitors.co.uk

About Save Face
Save Face is a government-approved register of accredited practitioners who carry out non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as dermal fillers and anti-wrinkle injections. Entry to the register is subject to each practitioner and their premises being assessed against our rigorous standards for accreditation.

For more information, visit www.saveface.co.uk