Leading plastic surgeons called for tighter regulation of the cosmetic surgery industry this week, deeming it to be an under-regulated “wild west”.

The surgeons are members of the British Association of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), and perform cosmetic surgeries both in the NHS and at leading private hospitals.

Members of the association believed that adverts for cosmetic procedures, which feature in the tabloids and in women’s magazines, should be banned.

BAAPS president Fazal Fatah said, “Over the last decade the BAAPS has worked tirelessly to educate the public on the many aggressive marketing gimmicks that not only trivialise surgery but endanger the patient”.

“We have warned against the unrealistic expectations set by reality ‘makeover’ shows and against crass competition prizes promising ‘mummy makeovers’ and body overhauls.

“In no other area of surgery would one encounter Christmas vouchers and two-for-one offers. The pendulum has swung too far, and it is time for change”.

France already bans advertising for cosmetic procedures, and the BAAPS argues that there should be a similar ban in the UK.

The latest casualties of the cosmetic surgery boom, the estimated 40,000 British women fitted with substandard PIP breast implants, have sparked fears of the unregulated nature of the trade.

The association says there should be a register of types of implants, and for dermal fillers to be reclassified as medicines, subject to more stringent rules.

Members of the BAAPS also want a compulsory register of all practitioners instead of the present voluntary one for clinics, with an annual audit as a requirement.