Cosmetic treatments are on the rise - the industry is now worth nearly four billion pounds in the UK and we’re getting well over a million treatments a year - double a decade ago. It’s not about long invasive surgeries anymore - 90% of today’s so called cosmetic ‘tweakments’ avoid the knife altogether.

In this two-part series, presenters Michael Mosley and Mehreen Baig are going on a science-driven investigation exploring the brave new world of cosmetic enhancement. They’ll look at whether these procedures actually do what they claim; how safe they are in what is a largely unregulated industry; and whether just because science has reached a point that it promises the face and body we want is it actually a good idea for our physical and mental health?

The first programme looks at the latest cosmetic treatment trends for the face. Dermal fillers are now incredibly popular and beauty clinics offering them are popping up everywhere. Most patients have no complications with these dissolvable synthetic hyaluronic acid filler treatments. However, Michael discovers that charity Save Face are seeing an dramatic increase in problem cases and over 80% of the complaints they receive are about procedures carried out by non-medics; a lack of regulation means that anyone can inject fillers, training is not mandatory and practitioners do not have to have insurance.

Science has recently provided alternative technologies that claim to increase collagen production and make the skin taught, lessening the demand for facelifts. Dr Tamara Griffiths from the University of Manchester will run an experiment comparing three treatments - CO2 laser; microneedling and collagen supplements - to see if they really can defy nature - and discover which is most effective.

The second programme focuses on treatments for the body. It tests the claims of a variety of treatments - from a device that says it can lift and tone the bottom using electrical currents to a weight loss procedure that uses infra-red light to increase metabolic rate.

Jack Bootle, Commissioning Editor, Natural History Unit and Specialist Factual, says: “The non-invasive cosmetic treatment industry is booming in the UK and yet is almost entirely unregulated. The Truth About Cosmetic Treatments will put the latest treatments to the test and look deeply into the impact these procedures can have on our physical and mental health.”

The Truth About... Cosmetic Treatments (2x60’) for BBC One, is made by BBC Studios' The Science Unit. It was commissioned by Charlotte Moore, Director, TV Content and Jack Bootle, Commissioning Editor, Natural History Unit and Specialist Factual. The Executive Producer for BBC Studios is Paul Overton.