Carol McGiffin shocked viewers as she showed what she would look like with a face full of fillers on Loose Women on Thursday (August 4). The 62-year-old looked dramatically different with a plump pout and cheeks in a selfie.
The panel were discussing whether people should need a prescription for lip fillers, amid calls from some MPs for there to be more regulation over them. Turning to a popular Instagram face filter, Carol admitted she found the look "disturbing" as she shared her own experience with going under the knife with the panel.
She said: "I've had a facelift as everybody knows [but] I haven't had all of that work done that was in [that picture]. That is a very, very disturbing look for me." Carol added: "It's an app or a filter...that my friend used when he came over to stay to see what I would look like if I went too far." She then shared her thoughts on the topic.
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The television host said that it's "worrying" young people aspire to look that way, though suggested that a requirement for a prescription might not be the best way to address such issues. "There should be definitely more regulation. I think there should be an age limit [and] consultations for people to make sure they haven't got any dysmorphia," she said.
Carol said there's a "lifelong cost" associated with investing in cosmetic procedures to stay youthful, expressing concern over what happens if you're unable to do so. She asked: "When you can't afford that cost anymore what happens to your mental health if you look in the mirror and see a wrinkle? It's really quite worrying actually."
The presenter wasn't alone in worrying over such cosmetic procedures, with Charlene White, 42, sharing concern over young people feeling pressured to have them, reports the Mirror. The discussion also saw Denise Welch, 64, ask Katie Piper, 38, if she thinks people who have cosmetic procedures are "superficial" - due to having reconstructive surgery herself.
Katie replied: "Short answer is no I don't. [...] I think it's such a complex thing." She later stated that she agrees that there should be more regulations for procedures like fillers. It comes after the Health and Social Care Committee said dermal fillers should be made prescription-only, in line with Botox, and proposed minimum training standards.
It is already against the law in England for anyone to inject Botox or fillers for "cosmetic purposes" to a person who is under the age of 18. Campaigners want further regulation. A government spokesperson told The Mirror: "We brought forward an amendment to the Health and Care Act 2022, which gives the Health and Social Care Secretary the power to bring into force a national licensing scheme in England for non-surgical cosmetic procedures, including dermal fillers, to ensure consistent standards are met.
"The licensing scheme will make it an offence for anyone in England to carry out specified non-surgical procedures without a license and we will set out further details in due course. The UK’s regulatory body on medicines and healthcare products (MHRA) is responsible for the regulation of medical devices and intends to bring in more stringent rules for certain aesthetic and non-medical products – including dermal fillers – under the UK medical devices regulations."
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