Stop dithering on Brazilian butt lift crackdown, say MPs

Tighter restrictions on high-risk cosmetic procedures such as liquid Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs) are needed immediately, a cross-party group of MPs says.

The Women and Equalities Committee said only doctors should be allowed to carry out these treatments because of the risks involved.

That would act as a de facto ban as doctors would only perform them in the most essential cases, the MPs say.

The government has proposed a similar measure, but has yet to confirm when the restrictions will come into place. Currently there is no regulation over who can provide procedures that do not involve incisions.

The committee said this had created a "wild west" market with procedures, including liquid breast enlargements, reportedly being done in Airbnbs, hotels rooms, garden sheds and public toilets.

In early 2024, Sasha Dean, from Bedfordshire, was left in a coma after receiving a liquid BBL. Some of the treatment was in a private house and she ended up developing sepsis.

"Very quickly it turned into a complete nightmare," Dean told the BBC.

"I had a heart attack, one of my lungs had collapsed, my kidneys were failing. My body was just completely shutting down."

After five days in an induced coma, Dean pulled through and has since recovered, but she says the experience has still left her with physical side effects.

"It's just been the most horrendous couple of years. I lost all my hair, I've got cognitive issues, I've had problems dropping things and I've had problems with my eyes. It's just an ongoing battle,"she says.

"It's ruined my life, quite frankly."

Dean is now warning other women against the dangers of the procedure.

"Because it's not surgery, people still think that it's safe. But for me, I just think it is the most dangerous procedure out there.

"I'd like to see it banned in all honesty."

Labour MP and committee chair Sarah Owen said liquid BBLs and liquid breast augmentations pose a serious threat to safety.

"The government is not moving quickly enough. There is no need for further consultation and delay," she said.

"This 'wild west' of procedures is placing the public at risk."

Owen also said the government needed to commit to introducing its licensing scheme for lower-risk non-surgical procedures by the end of this parliament, in 2029.

Under the government's plans, high-risk procedures will only be able to be performed by regulated healthcare professionals and services will be inspected by the Care Quality Commission.

Lower-risk procedures such as Botox and lip fillers will fall under council licensing schemes.

A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokeswoman said the government was already taking action to crack down on 'cosmetic cowboys' and root out dangerous treatments.

"Our tough new measures will ensure only qualified healthcare professionals will be able to perform the highest-risk procedures.

"For anyone considering a cosmetic procedure, please check the provider's qualifications and insurance - and avoid treatments that appear suspiciously cheap."

But DHSC said there was no date confirmed yet when these measures would be introduced.

The government began consulting on these changes in 2023, although there had been calls for tougher regulations for a decade before that, the committee said.

In the meantime, there has been a rapid growth in businesses offering these procedures.

A recent University College London study found there were now more than 5,500 clinics offering non-surgical cosmetic treatments in the UK with only a third of practitioners being qualified doctors.

The committee's report said there was no consistency in training standards, with some relying only on online training courses before providing treatments.

Dr Sophie Shotter, of the British College of Aesthetic Medicine, says there was no reason to delay introducing tougher regulation.

"If the government clearly defines which procedures are considered high-risk and legislates that only regulated healthcare professionals can perform them, implementation could happen relatively quickly.

"The key is clarity," she added. "Without a clear definition of 'high-risk', enforcement becomes difficult.

"But once that legal line is drawn, it should be a prosecutable offence for non-clinicians to carry out those treatments."

The MPs committee also wants the NHS to start recording data on complications after cosmetic surgery carried abroad, amid reports of people receiving emergency care following botched treatment in other countries.

And the MPs said they were concerned by the influence of social media platforms and online influencers who are contributing to worsening body image and increasing demand for cosmetic procedures, particularly among young women and girls.

The government said it would consider the committee's recommendations.