MPs say Brazilian butt lifts should be banned in the UK, after a report found a lack of regulation has led to a “wild west” of cosmetic procedures in garden sheds, hotel rooms and public toilets.
The Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) has called for the immediate outlawing of high-risk procedures such as non-surgical buttock augmentation and the urgent need for a licensing system for low-risk treatments. A group of MPs said people with no training could carry out harmful practices, putting people at risk.
A nine-month inquiry by the committee also found ministers were not moving quickly enough to tackle the risks to Britons and recommended they “accelerate regulatory action”. They warned that the lack of timely action could “foster complacency in self-regulation” in the industry.
“High-risk procedures such as the liquid Brazilian butt lift (BBL), which have led to deaths, should be banned immediately without further consultation,” the report said. “A licensing system for low-risk procedures, in which only those who are suitably qualified can perform them, should be introduced in this Parliament.”
The MPs added: “The government is not moving fast enough in introducing such a system. Currently, people with no formal training can carry out harmful interventions, putting people at risk.”
Currently, there is no regulation on who can perform non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as fillers or injections including botulinum toxin injections – often called Botox – laser therapy or chemical peels.
“This has led to a ‘Wild West’ in which procedures are carried out in Airbnbs, hotel rooms, garden sheds and public toilets, with many people facing serious harm,” the report said.
During the trial, one woman, Sasha Dean, told how she was admitted to intensive care with sepsis and was hospitalized for five weeks after the BBL went wrong. BBL is a non-surgical buttock augmentation where dermal fillers are injected to increase volume and shape the buttocks.
The committee also heard how Alice Webb, 33, a mother-of-five from Gloucestershire, died in September 2024 after liquid BBL.
MPs on the committee suggested that more people are turning to cosmetic procedures because of body image issues caused by social media and face-editing technologies. They expressed concern over the impact of influencers “normalizing” high-risk practices.
WEC Chair Sarah Owen said: “Procedures considered high risk, such as liquid BBLs and liquid breast augmentations, which have already been shown to pose a serious threat to patient safety, should be banned immediately. Further consultation and delay is not necessary.
“A licensing system for non-surgical cosmetic procedures should be introduced in this Parliament itself.
“The government is not moving fast enough in introducing a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures and regulatory action needs to be stepped up.
“Currently, people with no formal training can carry out very harmful interventions and often do so in unsafe environments. These ‘Wild West’ approaches are putting people at risk.”
Owen added: “Regulation has not kept pace with the expansion of the sector. In 2013, the head of the NHS warned that a person having a non-surgical cosmetic intervention was no more protected than someone buying a toothbrush.
“The only thing that has changed a decade later is the number of people suffering life-altering and life-threatening injuries.”
The Department of Health and Social Care said it would consider the report and “respond fully in due course”.
A spokesman said: “This Government is taking action to crack down on cosmetic cowboys and stamp out dangerous treatments. Our tough measures will ensure that only qualified healthcare professionals can carry out the highest risk procedures. If anyone is considering a cosmetic procedure, please check the provider’s qualifications and insurance – and avoid treatments that look cheap.”
