Teens turn to surgery in bid to look like Ariana Grande and social media filters

The Mirror · Expert comment · 11 January 2025

In January 2025 The Mirror reported on teenagers seeking cosmetic surgery and injectables to look like celebrities such as Ariana Grande, or like their own filtered social media images.

What Dr Ed said

Dr Ed said he regularly turns away 16 and 17-year-olds asking for treatment, which is illegal for under-18s in England.

“It's very common for my patients to reference such celebrities in their consultations”

Quoted exactly as published by The Mirror on 11 January 2025.

He said he is worried about the effect of filters on young people's mental health, leaving some with low self-esteem and a distorted view of how they look.

Clinical context

Since 2021 it has been illegal in England to give toxin or filler for cosmetic purposes to anyone under 18, and practitioners should check age before treatment. Faces continue to change through the teenage years and into the early twenties, which is another reason to wait. Young people worried about their appearance can talk to a GP, and support is available for body image concerns. Watch Dr Ed on social media and appearance.

Questions patients ask

Read the original

Read the full article on The Mirror

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