MailOnline contacted all of the clinics it found hosting and promoting raffles for comment. ![]() let alone offering them as a prize,' she said. 'The sector should look to cleaning up its advertising of procedures, and in particular the illegal advertising of prescription only medicines such as Botulinum toxin and B12. ![]() With ministers having pledged to establish a licensing plan for the aesthetics industry this year, Ms Knight said it was time for sector to clean up how it promoted products. She added: 'Anyone participating in these lotteries may well not realise or consider that it is illegal and worth noting they can ask for their money back.' 'They are glossing over the risks with a cheap procedure.' 'There is never a mention to the requirement of consultation, risk and suitability and is the worst example of predatory advertising,' she said. She added clinics operating such raffles failed to mention many of risks associated with the 'prizes', such as parts of the face 'freezing' if too much Botulinum toxin is injected. Sitpretti by Georgia told MailOnline they did not know such raffles were illegal and would be returning the money paid for by customers Government agency the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which enforces rules forbidding the advertising of prescription only medications, said offering them in the form of vouchers/coupons at an 'unreasonably low sum' is also not permitted.īusinesses who do not follow advertising or promotional restrictions for prescription only drugs can face 'both criminal and civil sanctions', the MHRA said.ĭawn Knight, of the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners, a body dedicated to promoting good practise in the cosmetic industry, said such raffles and 'dangerous tactics' had 'no place' in the British aesthetics sector. The Commission told MailOnline while it cannot comment on individual cases or websites, failure to follow its rules for lotteries can result in up to 51 weeks imprisonment and/or a £5,000 fine. None of the clinics running raffles seen by MailOnline were listed on the Commission's online register of licensed gambling businesses. If a lottery or raffle doesn't follow these rules it needs to apply for permission from either the Commission or their local authority, depending on the ticket sales, to run it. It is unclear if any clinics that MailOnline uncovered offering such lotteries were making a profit from running them. The Commission specifies this can't be done online and adds that prizes from the raffle and lottery cannot exceed £50 in value.īusinesses are also forbidden from making a profit on ticket sales and that proceeds should only cover the cost of supplying the prizes and running the raffle. These include only selling physical tickets in the actual place of business, with the draw to decide a winner also having to take place there. The Gambling Commission says while businesses can run lotteries and raffles for their customers, they must follow a strict set of rules. ![]() Other clinics' raffles seen by MailOnline included £260 permanent makeup treatments as prizes for £8 a ticket, and £2 to £10 tickets for prescription only B12 and Botulinum toxin injections. One of the prizes listed is Botox for three areas of the face, which is normally sold between £190 to £230.īotox is the most recognised brand of Botulinum toxin, a substance used to paralyse facial muscles with the aim of reducing wrinkles.Īnother clinic, Kallista Aesthetics in Witham, Essex, ran a Christmas raffle where, for £10 a ticket, a person could win a range of treatments, including £150 of Botox. Like many other such raffles, winners are announced on the clinic's Instagram page via a digital roulette wheel.Ĭlinic Emma Louise Beauty in Chichester has also run an 'Aesthetics Raffle' for £10 a ticket. It also had £3 tickets to win £150 of lip filler treatment for the perfect 'pout' and a £2 ticket for £120 body fat dissolving treatment. While the procedure is not detailed, similar ones advertised online involving using dental fillers or other treatments to enhance the shape of the face.
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