The UK government on Thursday, August 7, announced plans to tighten rules on high-risk cosmetic procedures such as so-called Brazilian butt lifts amid a surge in such treatments.
The health department said in a statement that “tough new measures” would “crack down on cowboy cosmetic procedures that have left people maimed, injured and in need of urgent” care.
They include mandating that only qualified health professionals who are registered with the care regulator can carry out procedures like buttock enhancement surgery or the injection of fillers into breasts and genitals.
Crackdown on “botched procedures”
Clinics offering lower risk treatments like Botox and lip fillers would need to meet certain standards to obtain a licence by their local authority, the Department of Health and Social care added.
The government said the measures “follow growing alarm over unqualified individuals performing invasive treatments in unsafe environments — including homes, hotels, and pop-up clinics”.
“Many of these procedures are marketed as non-surgical but, in reality, are invasive and carry serious risks,” said the health department’s statement.
The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons recorded almost 27,500 surgical procedures in 2024, a five percent increase from the year before.
The health department added there had been several incidents where people had received such treatments from providers “with little or no medical training, leading to dangerous complications, permanent scarring and even death”.
Last month, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute warned that fat injections, buttock enhancement surgery, Botox and fillers were being offered by untrained people in places such as public toilets.
The Save Face charity said it had supported more than 750 women who have suffered unsafe procedures.
Junior health minister Karin Smyth said the proposed measures would give patients “peace of mind” and reduce the cost to the state-run National Health Service “of fixing botched procedures”.
Under the plans, which will first go to a consultation next year, under 18s will be restricted from cosmetic procedures deemed risky, unless authorised by a health professional. That will prevent children from “dangerous beauty trends on social media”, the department said.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said 41 people have suffered adverse reactions following cosmetic procedures involving botulinum toxin since early June. Symptoms included difficulty swallowing, slurred speech and breathing problems, the agency said.
Industry reacts positively
“Any measures that increase protection for the general public and professionalise the industry will help instil confidence as well as helping to prevent the normalisation of horror stories that have become synonymous with our sector,” reacted Millie Kendall OBE, Chief Executive Officer at the British Beauty Council.
She said the Council has worked “tirelessly” in pushing for increased regulation of the aesthetics sector and that it fully welcome the government’s announcement. “We will work closely with relevant government stakeholders to ensure these measures are implemented in a way that ensures the sustained, and safe, growth of our sector. This is the first step forward in raising the reputation of our £30.4 billion industry.”
“This announcement is fantastic. We have campaigned for a long time for regulations to come in because not only do they protect the public, they also protect practitioners who are practising safely, who are trained and qualified and licensed to do the procedures they do. Now, we need to make sure regulations protect properly qualified individuals like myself, like many of my colleagues,” commented Dija Ayodele, skincare expert and founder of Black Skin Directory.
