Government plans crack down on ‘cosmetic cowboys’ to protect Britons against botched liquid butt lifts

A BBL is a non-surgical cosmetic procedure where dermal fillers are injected into the buttocks to alter their size or shape.

There are currently no limits as to who can perform the potentially risky procedure, which has resulted in at least one death in the UK.

But under the new rules, treatments that involve injecting fillers anywhere other than the face would only be able to be performed by qualified medics.

Other high-risk treatments such as deep chemical peels and vampire facials – which use microneedling to inject platelets drawn from a patient’s own blood back into the face – would be restricted to doctors, dentists, some nurses, midwives and pharmacists.

High-risk procedures for under-18s will also be banned under the proposed legislation.

Rogue operators could be hit with new criminal notices or fixed penalties up to £4,000.

Health Minister Karin Smyth said: “If you’re planning to undergo a major cosmetic procedure, you deserve to know you’re in safe hands – not risking your life with a rogue operator.

“These changes mean that only properly trained professionals can carry out the most serious, high-risk procedures, and that young people will be shielded from treatments that can go badly wrong.

“We want to drive cosmetic cowboys out of the market and raise standards across the board, giving reputable businesses a fair chance to thrive by helping people identify safe, qualified providers they can trust.”

The Government also said it remains committed to implementing a licensing scheme to ensure anyone providing treatments such as Botox and lip fillers meets strict safety standards.

The consultation follows the death of Alice Webb, a 33-year-old mother of five who died after having a liquid BBL performed in a salon in Gloucester in 2024.

And Sasha Dean, from Bedfordshire, went into a coma after receiving her liquid BBL, saying her life turned into a “complete nightmare”.

The number of deaths in the UK from the operation is not tracked, but there have been recorded fatalities in the US, with South Florida alone accounting for 25 deaths from BBLs between 2010 and 2022.

But Keith Allison, cosmetic surgery co-lead at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said the proposals “do not go far enough”.

He said: “If the Government strengthens regulations for non-surgical procedures while leaving cosmetic surgery largely unchanged, it will create an unacceptable gap in patient protection.

“A doctor should not be able to carry out cosmetic surgery simply because they hold a medical licence.”

Mr Allison has called for the Government to “ensure that anyone performing cosmetic surgery has the appropriate surgical training and expertise”.

The Government will launch a consultation asking for input from doctors, regulators and businesses to draw up draft regulations.

The blueprint will then go through the parliamentary process, which is currently planned for spring 2027.