Authorities get tougher on Botox ads

By Olive Carterton

Doctors and others have been warned they will be referred to the GMC and Care Quality Commis­sion (CQC) if they flout new rules banning them from advertising botulinum toxins.

From this month, the ban covers advertising botulinum toxin injections (like Botox) on social media, paid-for ads, non-paid-for marketing posts and influencer marketing. 

The instruction comes from the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP) said many concerns had been expressed about misleading and exaggerated claims and strategies used to advertise cosmetic treatments including the explicit promotion of prescription-only medicines (POMs) such as botulinum toxin.