Brazilian butt lifts and vampire facials targeted in government crackdown on ‘cowboy clinics’

Only qualified healthcare professionals will be able to perform high-street cosmetic procedures, such as Brazilian butt lifts and vampire facials, in a new government crackdown on “cowboy clinics”.

Under the new proposals, announced this week, anyone carrying out the highest-risk cosmetic procedures will need to be a qualified, trained and regulated professional.

Only doctors will be able to inject fillers into parts of the body other than the face, including a liquid BBL also known as a Brazilian butt lift - a procedure that injects fillers directly into the tissue to build volume.

Other high-risk treatments such as deep chemical peels, vampire facials, dermal micro-coring and some laser procedures will only be able to be carried out by a doctor, dentist, or some trained nurses, midwives and pharmacists.

A vampire facial involves micro-needling the patient’s face with their own blood plasma to rejuvenate the skin, and dermal micro-coring uses needles to remove tiny plugs of skin in an attempt to tighten the affected area.

Cosmetic surgery and other high-risk procedures will also be banned for under 18s and anyone who breaks the rules could be hit with unlimited fines, or fixed penalties up to £4,000.

In a notice from the department of health, officials said dodgy practitioners were working out of hotel rooms performing high-risk treatments.

The family of a woman who died after having a liquid Brazilian Butt Lift welcomed the new rules, saying they would spare other families the same grief.

Mother-of-five Alice Webb, 33, died after have the treatment in Gloucester in 2024. Her sister April Palmer told the BBC: “As a family, we are asking for Alice’s Law to be implemented and for liquid BBL procedures to be restricted, as a matter of urgency, to appropriately qualified surgeons only.

“We believe this will prevent avoidable harm, provide better protection for people considering cosmetic procedures and spare other families the same heartbreak.”

Last year, the UK health security agency issued an alert to customers of “vampire facial” treatments at a Wolverhampton beauty salon. The health agency said there had been an inadequate cleaning of equipment and a helpline was set up with clients being tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.

The salon said that no-one had contracted anything as a result and that they had stopped the treatment.

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.”

The government will launch a consultation on the plans and ask for input from doctors, regulators and business before the draft regulations are drawn up. It will then go through Parliament, likely in Spring 2027.

Victoria Brownlie, 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.”

Ashton Collins, Director of Save Face, who have been campaigning for the changes, said: “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.”