The dangerous world of cosmetic tourism

Kaitlin Dryburgh

A mum of two lost her life during surgery, her full of life smiley face at the top of the news article made the story that bit more heart-breaking. The unfortunate thing was her death was completely unnecessary, but then again, so was her surgery. The women in question who died due to complications during weight loss surgery was one of thousands of people partaking in medical tourism.

Large droves of people are travelling abroad to find cheap and snappy cosmetic surgery, that would otherwise be too expensive in Scotland and the rest of the UK. Countries in Eastern Europe have become popular destinations to find a cheap deal but the destination where the majority are flocking to is Turkey. This is also where Janet the mum of two had travelled to.

You’ve maybe even heard the phrase ‘Turkey teeth”, or even “Turkey hair”. I know of at least two people who have travelled there to acquire a new set of gnashers, and by all accounts both were happy with the results. But was it worth the risk?

In 2022 alone Turkey had 1.2 million foreign visitors arriving for medical procedures, and a large percentage of those were from the UK. It's still a little unclear how many are travelling from the UK but in some years it’s estimated to be around 300,000, with many experts believing the numbers are only increasing.

It’s a crazy world. Just a little search on Instagram or Tik Tok and it’ll reveal video upon video promoting different cosmetic surgeries. Reality TV stars showcasing their experience of heading over to Turkey and coming back with refurbished body parts.

In one video a female influencer in her 20s takes us through her “journey”. Set to uplifting music she explains how she was quoted £20,000 for a rhinoplasty back home but when opting for Turkey it was only £6,000, including flights, hotel etc. She proclaimed it was the best medical care she had ever received, and she “was treated like a princess”. Obviously she didn’t explicitly say that she had paid the £6,000, as this was an Ad. The doctor she credited was apparently “world renowned” and can be contacted via WhatsApp, just like all the best doctors.

It’s an extremely dangerous combination, surgery, social media, and influencers. Some things just shouldn’t mix. But in a way you can see the appeal, social media and our hyper consumerism culture has always thrived off of people’s insecurities. In order to sell a product you need to be solving a problem, and if people don’t have a problem you need to create one.

So when an unknown doctor and clinic in a different country comes up with something called the “Mommy MOT” which includes a butt lift, tummy tuck and breast augmentation for under £6,000 and it’s getting rave reviews from some D-list celeb online, and all you’ve seen on social media is the fake reality of mums “bouncing back” from pregnancy, you can see how someone can fall into the trap. This “package” claimed the life of someone this year.

It’s easy to judge but these individuals are seriously a victim of the hyper capitalism era we find ourselves in. Take your pick of the failures that had led to this. Consumerism and marketing gone crazy, social media running feral with barely any meaningful regulations, or even cheap commercial flights. The fixation on looks over substance leaves many fixating on their appearance.

It's a cheap and quick fix. In the UK you might have to wait three weeks for a doctor’s appointment. But in this world you can WhatsApp a “world-renowned” doctor and be booked in for a butt lift in a few hours. Hey, you could even throw in a tummy-tuck.

The first, a completely unregulated surgery not approved by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons and the second, a very dangerous major surgery. And you can have both done in the same 24 hours. Bargain.

I needn’t point out all the risks involved with these irresponsible procedures having already mentioned two people who have died, and they unfortunately are part of a growing list.

The increasing popularity of medical tourism is costing the NHS millions every year. A 2024 study based in the Canniesburn Plastic Surgery Unit, Glasgow, found that from 2019-2023 there were 81 patients who needed medical attention due to botched procedures abroad. The average cost to NHS Scotland for each patient was £9,328. For some this may also include life-long medical help. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons found that in 2021 the number of people being treated for complications following surgery abroad rose 44%. Some needing emergency surgery or treatment will have the NHS to rely on. Others who have been left aesthetically damaged will have to pay out of their own pocket, perhaps even leaving them in financial hardship.

We also need to look homeward. We have a boom in people leaving the country for surgery, but we unfortunately have an increasing amount of people turning to cosmetic treatments in Scotland and the UK. Some doctors have dubbed it “the Love Island effect”, young women requesting to look like the people the see on the TV.

Scotland, unfortunately, has become the Turkey of cosmetic treatments. With some professionals branding Scotland the worst in Europe. The problem with Scotland is two-fold, firstly we do not require medically trained professionals to administer fillers etc, and secondly, we haven't banned under-18 from having these cosmetic treatments.

Subsequently there have been stories of individuals south of the border, where such a ban exists, crossing over into Scotland to have fillers administered. Doctors have also warned that untrained beauticians are administrating unlicensed Botox bought online and causing all types of complications for patients. As of right now your plumber could inject a 17-year-old girl with filler, and it would be completely legal.

Currently Botox is a prescription-only medicine but with individuals openly advertising “home-visit” Botox freely on social media, and little to no enforcement taking place, its turned into the Wild West.

The Scottish Government stated back in 2022 that they would be looking into tougher enforcement for cosmetic treatments, but no action as of yet. The problem is only getting worse and the regulations to make this market safer are not that hard to implement.

There is a problem that goes deeper than just who can administer filler. It’s looking into what causes young people to want to alter their appearance. It’s the society that we have created that allows unregulated individuals to market and create a need for dangerous procedures.