UK crackdown on 'cosmetic cowboys': liquid BBLs to be classed as surgery in filler shake-up
Injecting dermal fillers anywhere off the face, including liquid BBLs, will be legally defined as a cosmetic surgical procedure under new Government rules targeting rogue operators, with penalties of an unlimited fine or up to £4,000.
The Government has announced a crackdown on “cosmetic cowboys” that will legally define liquid Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs) — any dermal filler injections carried out anywhere off the face — as cosmetic surgical procedures, restricting them to qualified medical professionals, LADBible reported.
Deep chemical peels and “vampire facials”, which use microneedling to inject platelets drawn from a patient’s own blood back into the face, will be restricted to doctors, dentists, some nurses, midwives and pharmacists. Those breaking the rules face an unlimited fine or a fixed penalty of 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. We want to drive cosmetic cowboys out of the market and raise standards across the board.”
The plans follow the 2024 death of Alice Webb, a 33-year-old mother of five, after a liquid BBL in a Gloucester salon. Sky News reports a licensing scheme for Botox and lip fillers is also planned, and risky treatments will be banned for under-18s.
Ashton Collins, co-founder of the Save Face register of safe aesthetic practitioners, who has campaigned for tougher rules since 2023, called the consultation a chance for the public to help shape the final framework. The Government will launch a consultation before putting draft regulations through Parliament in the spring.
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