Industry group The British Beauty Council has joined forces with the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) and the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP) on guidance to help people make informed decisions about cosmetic treatments.
The practical advice has been tailored to support people at three stages of their life, each of which can come with its own concerns about body image: young adulthood, parenting and mature adulthood.
The Young Adults guide features a selection of strategies and personal stories about how to maintain a healthy body image despite social and commercial pressures, and making informed decisions about cosmetic treatments, while the Parent’s Guide raises awareness of how parenting and other influences can impact children and young people’s developing body image, while sharing tips for counterbalancing unhelpful social and commercial pressures.
Finally, the Mature Adults guidance highlights the most common influences on body image in adulthood, sharing tips for maintaining a healthy body image and addressing safety and informed choice if someone is seeking cosmetic treatments.
Katrina Jenkins, Targeted Programmes Manager at the Mental Health Foundation, said: “Body image is so closely linked to our mental health. Social media, peers and family can all impact how we feel about ourselves, and the image we have of our own bodies.
“Making informed choices is central to our wellbeing, and this is also true for decisions about our bodies, which are unique to us and our individual needs.
“Asking the right questions and being informed means we can be protected against predatory marketing and make decisions that support our safety and mental health in the long run.”
“The JCCP places public safety and informed consent at the heart of its consumer engagement campaigns,” added JCCP Chair Professor David Sines.
“It is committed to enhancing and strengthening public protection but acknowledges that at the present time what has been lacking are clear, transparent and easily understood guides to assist younger people, parents and adults to make informed, risk-assessed choices about the aesthetics treatments that best meet their personal needs and expectations.”
Helena Grzesk, Chief Operating Officer at the British Beauty Council, further added: “We are delighted to collaborate with the Mental Health Foundation to support the launch of these essential toolkits promoting healthy body image and wellbeing.
“We know that body image can affect self-esteem and mental health at all ages; raising awareness and supporting young people and parents to make informed decisions is crucial.”
The announcement of this guidance comes just a day after an All Party Parliamentary Group on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing put pressure on the UK government to impart a legal framework of standards for non-surgical cosmetic treatments.
While much of the APPG’s year-in-the-making report focused on professional standards and qualifications, ethics and mental health considerations, as well as issues around advertising and social media were likewise raised as subjects of concern.
