Ministers have announced a clampdown on “cowboy” cosmetic procedures, including liquid Brazilian butt lifts, with stricter rules on who is allowed to perform the procedures in England.
Wes Streeting, the health secretary, plans to introduce legislation next year restricting who can access and perform aesthetic treatments. Labour has warned that the industry is a “wild west” because of a lack of regulation around who can administer treatments such as dermatological filler and Botox injections.
At present a licence is not required to perform such procedures in England. Health department officials said botched treatments had left people “maimed” and suffering from “dangerous complications, permanent scarring and even death”.
Ministers plan to introduce new rules whereby only qualified healthcare professionals can deliver high-risk procedures such as liquid Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs).
Providers will need to be regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and those found to be breaking rules could face sanctions and financial penalties. Clinics offering lower-risk procedures such as Botox and fillers will need to be licensed by their local authority.
The proposals will be subject to a consultation early next year that will seek views on the types of procedures that should be covered by the new regulations.
Liquid BBLs involve injecting filler into the buttocks to lift them and make them look bigger or more rounded. The procedure can cause serious side-effects such as blood clots and sepsis.
A 33-year-old woman, Alice Webb, died last year after complications from a suspected liquid BBL in Gloucestershire.
Last month, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute warned that fat injections, BBLs, Botox and fillers were being offered by untrained people in places such as public toilets. Health officials launched an investigation after several people had reactions to Botox-like injections this year.
The government urged people always to ask for providers’ qualifications and insurance and to be wary of “suspiciously cheap” offers.
Restrictions on high-risk treatments will be introduced via an amendment to the CQC’s regulations, while licensing for providers of lower-risk procedures will be introduced via secondary legislation.
The government also plans to bring in restrictions for under-18s on high-risk cosmetic procedures unless these have been approved by a healthcare professional. It became illegal for children to receive Botox and dermal fillers in England in 2021.
The Scottish government announced plans in May to regulate aesthetic treatments, but there have been no moves to tighten regulation in Wales or Northern Ireland. “The government’s move to regulate non-surgical aesthetic procedures is an important first step forward for patient safety,” said Tim Mitchell, the president of the Royal College of Surgeons.
But Mitchell stressed that regulation should go further, by ensuring that procedures such as buttock or breast augmentation are performed only by surgeons who have been recognised by the Cosmetic Surgery Board.
“This will ensure high standards of care, reduce avoidable harm and give patients the confidence they deserve when seeking aesthetic treatments,” he said.
Sue Davies, the head of consumer protection policy at Which?, said the changes would “mean little without a serious overhaul of consumer enforcement teams such as trading standards, which are currently stretched too thinly to properly investigate these rogue traders who are putting consumers at risk”.
Millie Kendall, the chief executive of the British Beauty Council, which represents the industry, said the changes “will help instil confidence as well as helping to prevent the normalisation of horror stories that have become synonymous with our sector”.
Karin Smyth, a health minister, said: “The cosmetics industry has been plagued by a wild west of dodgy practitioners and procedures. There are countless horror stories of cosmetic cowboys causing serious, catastrophic damage.
“This government is taking action to protect those seeking treatments, support honest and competent practitioners, and root out the cowboys as part of our plan for change.
“This isn’t about stopping anyone from getting treatments – it’s about preventing rogue operators from exploiting people at the expense of their safety and keeping people safe. We’re giving them peace of mind and reducing the cost to the NHS of fixing botched procedures.”