With this year's lockdown, one thing is certain: aesthetic practitioners have become more reliant on social media as a tool for keeping in touch with both regular and potential patients. Many have reported creative and innovative ways of using social media as an effective business tool in the face of such uncertainty, including Instagram live videos demonstrating skincare products and answering any questions posed by patients (Ayodele, 2020). The rise of video call platforms such as House Party and Zoom also led to the introduction of webinars and virtual consultations (Singh, 2020), paving the path even further for technological advances and artificial intelligence (AI) in dermatology. However, as many know, unethical advertising in rampant on such platforms, and especially on Instagram. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) have rules regarding botulinum toxin and not advertising it to patients.
Following on from the Enforcement Notice published in January 2020 (ESA and CAP, 2020a), which condemned the advertising of botulinum toxin injections to the public, as a result of them being prescription-only medicines, ASA and CAP have released further guidance regarding adhering to Instagram advertising rules (ESA and CAP, 2020b). The ASA and CAP have noted that they would ‘rather not have to take your posts down, it's better for everyone if you get it right first time’. Tips for ‘getting it right’ include exercising caution with hashtags, as, even if the post itself meets all rules, certain hashtags (such as ‘#Botox’) are against the rules, and may result in the post being taken down. To further this, some may think that just ‘botulinum toxin’ or ‘Botox’ raise the alarm, and this can be avoided by using the alternative term ‘wrinkle-relaxing injections’. Think again, because this still breaks the rules, and may lead to the post being removed. For the full information on Instagram advertising, readers can visit www.asa.org.uk.
While this guidance is certainly admirable in its attempt to facilitate ethical cosmetic advertising, it is a far cry from the regulated medical aesthetics sector that has been sought for many years now. Still, practiced medical aesthetic practitioners and the public alike are increasingly reporting cases of hairdressers and beauticians both administering botulinum toxin and training lay people. Monitoring of social media posts and the encouragement to report posts going against advertising guidelines is one thing, but unqualifed persons offering and administering treatments such as botulinum toxin and dermal fillers are on the rise, which begs the question of how this can possibly be enough to ensure a professional industry that puts patient safety at its heart.