Government turns to TikTokers to advise on cosmetic surgery abroad

The UK government has launched a social media campaign using TikTok creators to warn about the risks of travelling overseas for cosmetic and medical procedures. The initiative, announced on 15 August, aims to provide clear guidance before people book treatments such as hair transplants, dental work and high-risk cosmetic surgery.

Medical influencers including Midwife Marley and Doc Tally will post short videos that signpost viewers to practical checks and credible information. Ministers say the partnership is intended to reach younger audiences who are increasingly researching procedures through social platforms.

Alongside the videos, the government is promoting a checklist that urges prospective patients to research clinics and surgeons’ credentials, understand aftercare, factor in full costs and ask who will fix complications. People are advised to speak to a UK doctor in advance, arrange suitable insurance and avoid package deals that bundle surgery with travel. The Foreign Office is also expanding its travel advice for those considering “tweakments”.

The campaign sits within a wider crackdown on unsafe cosmetic practice in England, including plans to restrict high-risk interventions to qualified health workers and to strengthen regulation and licensing. Recent coverage has highlighted deaths and serious infections linked to procedures overseas, underlining the need for better standards and clear public information. The government is using TikTok to push practical, pre-procedure checks to a hard-to-reach audience, while signalling tighter rules at home to reduce harm and NHS costs from botched treatments abroad.