A row erupted after a cosmetic surgery group launched a
'feel good package' for newly divorced women.
Transform Cosmetic Surgery Group announced details of its so-called
'post-divorce pick-me-up' at a trade show on the same day an industry body
advised its members to refuse treatment to patients in emotional distress.
Liz Dale, Transform's marketing director, said: "With an increased demand for
total makeovers following the end of marriages, Transform is proposing a
combination of breast enhancement, liposuction, teeth whitening and Botox.
"With the average divorce age rising to 43, we are seeing more and more women
turning to cosmetic enhancement to boost their self-confidence post-divorce.
"The most popular operations with divorcees are breast enhancement and
liposuction, followed closely by facial surgery, including eye bag removal.
"We have also seen a marked increase in the number of women who have just
come out of relationships exploring non-surgical procedures, including botox,
facial peels and dermal fillers to give them the self-assurance they need to
return to the dating game."
The announcement angered the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic
Surgeons (BAAPS), which was holding its annual conference in Bath.
One of the main messages it was conveying to its 200 members is that they
should decline treatment to patients in emotional distress or with unrealistic
expectations about how cosmetic surgery could change their lives.
Last night BAAPS president Douglas McGeorge said: "Targeting newly divorced
woman like this is incredibly unsavoury marketing and not the sort of thing we
would advocate.
"We say surgeons should not give cosmetic surgery for purely aesthetic
reasons to women in the middle of a life crisis.
"Surgery can help to rebuild troubled lives, but women who have divorced
should wait until their life is in a state of equilibrium before considering it
not rush straight into it.
"Desperate people who try to re-brand themselves through surgery are not
necessarily going to feel happier for having it done, and they should think
about it long and hard first."
BAAPS is based at the Royal College of Surgeons.
