Issued by: Department of Health and Social Care

The governments crackdown on cosmetic cowboys intensifies with restrictions on high-risk procedures.

· New rules to ensure cosmetic procedures – including liquid Brazilian Butt Lifts, vampire facials and chemical peels – to be carried out by specific healthcare experts only

· Cosmetic surgery and other high-risk procedures banned for under-18s

· Anyone who breaks these rules could be hit with a hefty unlimited fine

The crackdown on cosmetic cowboys intensifies this week as the government announces new restrictions on cosmetic procedures, including liquid Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBLs), vampire facials and chemical peels, to qualified healthcare experts only.

Under the new rules, anyone carrying out the highest-risk cosmetic procedures, will need to be a qualified, trained and regulated professional, giving people confidence they’re in safe hands.

Fillers injected into parts of the body other than the face, including liquid BBLs, would be legally defined as cosmetic surgical procedures, meaning only doctors could perform them.

High-risk non-surgical or wellbeing treatments, including deep chemical peels, vampire facials, dermal micro-coring and some laser procedures would be restricted to doctors, dentists and some nurses, midwives and pharmacists*.

With surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures becoming increasingly blurred, the new rules will also close a dangerous loophole that has seen ill-qualified practitioners working out of hotel rooms performing high risk procedures without regulatory oversight.

Rogue providers who flout the proposals could be put before the courts under tough new criminal offences. Breaking the rules could see providers being hit with unlimited fines, 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."

Victoria Brownlie MBE, Chief Policy & Sustainability Officer at the British Beauty Council, said:

"Over a number of years, the line between a beauty treatment and a medical procedure has blurred. A lack of regulation in what has become a booming market has led to an exploitation of these gaps, placing members of the public at serious risk.

"I believe this is a vital step toward the required regulation and commend the Government for tackling this issue head-on. Their assurance that a licensing scheme for “lower risk” treatments will follow is also much welcomed as a vital turning point to ensure the highest standards of competence and care across the beauty and aesthetics sector."

Ashton Collins, Director of Save Face:

"We welcome this vital step towards protecting the public from the harm we have seen in recent years.

"For too long, non-healthcare practitioners have exploited a regulatory loophole to carry out high-risk procedures, including liquid BBLs and facelifts, on members of the public. This has led to serious and life-threatening complications, including the death of Alice Webb, and victims have been left without justice.

"Save Face has campaigned for tougher rules since 2023, so that those who flout them are held accountable. This consultation gives the public, practitioners, and experts the chance to help shape the final framework. We urge everyone to respond, and we look forward to the legislation being brought before Parliament so that it can be enacted as soon as possible to prevent further harm."

Dr Leah Totton, cosmetic doctor, said:

"These proposed regulations are a welcome and long-overdue step towards protecting the public and safeguarding patients, particularly those under 18, who are a vulnerable group. Cosmetic treatments are medical treatments and things can, and do, go wrong, Patients deserve to know that the practitioner treating them is appropriately qualified.

"High-risk cosmetic procedures should only be carried out by appropriately qualified and trained healthcare professionals. Medical practitioners have been calling for stronger regulation for years, and I hope these proposals mark a turning point in raising standards, protecting patients and restoring confidence in our industry."

New rules would stop under-18s having risky cosmetic or wellbeing treatments, while fillers are already restricted for kids under a separate law.

The government is launching a consultation to ask clinicians, regulators, businesses, the public and other experts for their say on the draft regulations before plans go through the parliamentary process, which is currently planned for spring 2027.

Separate to the consultation, the government remains committed to implementing a licensing scheme to ensure that clinics delivering botulinum toxin products (more commonly known as Botox), lip filler and other lower-risk treatments meet strict safety standards, putting an end to backyard Botox clinics.

The new crackdown follows a string of reports of rogue, unregulated surgeries and procedures being carried out by unqualified practitioners, putting patients at serious risk of harm or even death.

Background

*Only nurses, midwives and pharmacists who have completed an accredited training course, which means they are legally authorised to prescribe medications to patients.

Tags

More Like This

Crackdown on unsafe cosmetic procedures to protect the public

Government works with TikTok to help safety for treatments abroad

Plastic Surgeons Call for Ban on Breast Fillers Over Cancer and Safety Fears

MHRA crackdown on illegal ‘Botox’ after victims left seriously ill

UKHSA issues warning over botulism

UKHSA issues warning over botulism

SUN, SEA AND NECROSIS: CHEAP SURGERY ABROAD LEAVING BRITONS DISFIGURED AND COSTING THE NHS MILLIONS

Aesthetic procedures close to 35 million in 2023