Should Plastic Surgery Ads Be Banned? UK Doctors Raise Good Question

British surgeons are calling for a ban on all cosmetic surgery ads. After the nationwide recall of a low-grade silicone implant, the country's leading experts in the field of plastic surgery are worried consumers are getting the wrong message that cosmetic upgrades are easy and risk-free. They want firmer regulation from media watchdogs, even if that means an all-out blackout of surgical ads.

Aggressive marketing tactics that play on consumer insecurities aren't exclusive to the UK. Whether you're combing the Internet or driving down a freeway, you're bound to see an ad for your friendly local plastic surgeon promising a better life.

"Good looking people have more fun, make more money and have more good looking friends," asserts California surgeon Dr. Timothy Kelly in a Miami Vice-inspired commercial for his services.

Kelly's commercial verges on parody, but as more surgeons sink big dollars into ad campaigns, the message is spreading. It's also getting slicker. With so many signs pointing to the necessity of nipping and tucking, risky procedures appear easier, healthier and more fulfilling than ever before. Looks can be deceiving.