Ever contemplated a little nip or tuck? Dreamt of bigger breasts or a flatter tummy? The Ugly Face of Beauty shines a spotlight on the booming cosmetic surgery industry and hears horror stories from those who have fallen victim to botched surgery – with one in five patients admitting they’re even more miserable with their bodies post-procedure. 

Dr Christian Jessen presents the ultimate guide to successful cosmetic surgery in a world where the quick fix and money making seem to have taken a precedent over the realities of drastic surgery and what it entails. Tantalising adverts and low cost cosmetic surgery both in the UK and overseas have made the surgeon's scalpel more tempting than ever before. 

Tantalising adverts and low cost cosmetic surgery both in the UK and overseas have made the surgeon's scalpel more tempting than ever before.  Yet in a recent survey one in five patients admitted they’re even more miserable with their bodies after surgery.

Over the next four weeks, Dr Christian Jessen presents a warts and all guide to the truth about cosmetic surgery and meets women disfigured by the surgeon’s scalpel and follows five cases through reconstructive surgery to repair the emotional and physical scars inflicted upon them by bad practice. 

Also, in a bid to educate surgery seeking teens, Christian heads to a London secondary school where pupils see cosmetic surgery as the quick fix way to get the body you want. Over the series can he open their eyes to the real dangers of the surgical procedures they long for and educate them about the reality, cost and dangers of invasive surgery?

The first of the four programmes investigates the realities of the nation’s most popular cosmetic procedure – the boob job.

The first programme Rachel tells the cautionary tale of her breast lift and augmentation that went very wrong. Rachel awoke after her surgery to feel that one breast was higher than the other, but was told by her surgeon everything was fine and the breast shape would improve in time. Six months later there was no improvement as the implants still sat very high on her chest with her breast tissue left drooping below. Can revision surgery from The Ugly Face of Beauty’s team of surgeons finally give her the breasts she wanted?

During the series, journalist Polly Hudson heads to a cosmetic clinic in Spain to find out why Brits travel abroad for surgery in the sunshine. Firstly she meets Natalie Rooney, 19-year-old cousin of Wayne Rooney who is embarking on her second breast enlargement. Natalie wants the biggest boobs in Britain, but controversially she also decides she wants some liposuction – despite barely having any fat on her size 8 frame.  Despite warnings from the surgeon and pleas from Polly she is determined to go ahead.

And finally journalist Andrea Thompson goes undercover on Harley St to test out just how far cosmetic surgery clinics will go with the hard sell, special offers and sales patter to get her to sign up for a breast augmentation. These techniques are then employed on unsuspecting members of the public at a fake walk-in clinic in Southend. But just how willing are people to sign up for surgery when presented with a too good to be true package? The results are shocking…

If you missed the first episode on channel 4 at 8pm on 13th July, catch up and click the link below to see the first instalment of The Ugly Face of Beauty