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SSocial media allows women to cheat with mental health screening tests designed to prevent them from undergoing unnecessary cosmetic procedures, warned NHS leaders.
Tricks on how to "play" questionnaires designed to block people with disorders such as body dysmorphism such as botox and fillers are increasingly shared on Facebook and other platforms, have announced officials.
Last night, the NHS England called on providers to adopt stricter tests to eliminate clients for whom cosmetic procedures could worsen their mental health problems.
Following an announcement by Superdrug, the largest retailer offering in-store cosmetics, the chain would strengthen its screening test following pressure from health officials.
Last August, the company began offering people aged 25 and over starting at £ 99, a botox treatment, lip shutters and a facial contour for crow feet, which is about third of the price of private clinics.
This decision exacerbated fears that the service is making it too easy to access potentially damaging treatments for those with body image issues.
Superdrug said it has always performed a "full medical consultation" with a nurse practitioner, but that it has now adopted the standards recognized by the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation (BDDF).
However, Claire Murdoch, director of mental health at NHS England, said: "Online communities have quickly understood how to get around this type of test, as social media is often used to exchange advice between people who want to be treated but inappropriate.
"To be truly effective, providers of aesthetic treatments must understand and protect themselves from the impact that social media platforms may have to undermine protections of this type."
The comments follow an intervention by Simon Stevens, who heads the NHS last year, claiming that social media companies have a duty to reduce the factors of mental illness.
One of the issues in the BBDF-approved screening test is how often does a person check their appearance in the mirror and how ugly they feel.
Superdrug says that if he suspects a client of having body dysmorphic problems, he will refer him to a GP and give him a 14-day cooling-off period.
Professor Stephen Powis, Medical Director of the NHS, said: "The pressures on young people's mental health are greater than ever, with families and health services too often left to their own devices.
"The absence of rigorous controls over cosmetic surgery procedures means that the public is dependent on companies that take voluntary measures to put their affairs in order, thereby exposing people to unsafe practices.
Kitty Wallace, BDDF Administrator, said, "Studies show that less than 10% of BDD patients are satisfied with the results of cosmetic procedures.
"It is important that these measures are in place to protect these people against potentially harmful and unnecessary procedures."
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