The key facts

  • High-risk procedures (liquid BBLs, vampire facials, deep peels) will be restricted to trained medical professionals
  • Ban on cosmetic procedures for under-18s and fines of up to £4,000 for offenders
  • Consultations with experts and the public, then parliament in spring 2027

The essence of the new rules

The government of England has announced plans for 2027 to allow high-risk 'non-surgical' cosmetic procedures — liquid Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs), vampire facials, deep chemical peels, dermal micro-coring and certain laser procedures — to be performed only by properly trained professionals. Currently there are no restrictions on who can perform such procedures, even though they can harm health or lead to death. Fillers injected into parts of the body other than the face (as with liquid BBLs) will be legally classified as cosmetic surgical procedures, meaning only doctors will be able to perform them. High-risk non-surgical procedures will be limited to doctors, dentists and certain trained nurses, midwives and pharmacists. Cosmetic operations and risky procedures will be banned for those under 18; lip fillers and Botox for children are already banned. Offenders will face new criminal offences and fixed fines of up to £4,000.

Background and victims

Consultations on changes to the industry began in 2023, but calls for stricter regulation had been made for many years. There were reports of procedures carried out in Airbnbs, hotel rooms, garden sheds and even public toilets. Alice Webb, a mother of five from Gloucestershire, died within hours of a liquid BBL in 2024. The same year, Sasha Dean of Bedfordshire fell into a coma after a liquid BBL, part of which was performed in a private house; she developed sepsis. 'Very quickly it all turned into a complete nightmare. I had a heart attack, one lung collapsed, my kidneys were failing. My body was just completely shutting down,' she told BBC News.

Reaction

Health Minister Karin Smith said: 'We want to drive cosmetic cowboys out of the market and raise standards across the board, giving legitimate businesses a fair chance to thrive, while helping people find safe, qualified providers they can trust.' The British Beauty Council said the government should be praised for directly addressing the problem. However, Keith Allison of the Royal College of Surgeons of England called the consultation 'long overdue' and said that, while the proposals are welcome, they do not go far enough: 'Ministers must ensure they do not create a new loophole in patient protection by regulating non-surgical cosmetic procedures more strictly than cosmetic surgery itself. A doctor should not be able to perform cosmetic surgery simply because they hold a medical licence.'

Next steps and the situation in the regions

The government will hold consultations with doctors, businesses, regulators, the public and experts on the draft rules, after which the plans will go to parliament in spring 2027. A licensing scheme for Botox clinics in England has already been announced. In Scotland, laws passed in March require cosmetic procedures to be performed by, or under the supervision of, certain healthcare professionals in a registered premises; non-surgical procedures are banned for under-18s. In Wales and Northern Ireland there are no specific rules regulating cosmetic procedures.

In this photo, Alice smiles at the camera and is sat in a barImage source, FAMILY HANDOUT
Image caption,

Alice Webb died after becoming unwell following a liquid Brazilian Butt Lift procedure

Sasha, who has dark hair and dark clothes, is sitting in the photograph. Behind her are two bouquets of pink flowers.
Image caption,

Sasha Dean from Bedfordshire was left in a coma after receiving a liquid BBL

Alice Webb is looking at the camera. She has dark brown hair tied back from her face and a lip and nose piercingWoman getting skin marked for Brazilian butt liftA man wearing medical scrubs is seen talking to someone off-camera.