The Government has announced a number of new rules as part of its sweeping crackdown on “cosmetic cowboys” performing procedures like liquid Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBLs) on the high street, in an effort to drive out rogue operators and raise safety standards across the aesthetics industry.
Reclassification of High-Risk Procedures
Under new proposals set out by ministers, treatments involving filler injections outside the face - including body contouring and liquid BBLs - will be legally defined as cosmetic surgical procedures. The reclassification means they can legally only be carried out by qualified medical professionals.
Other high-risk non-surgical treatments, including deep chemical peels and “vampire facials” (which use microneedling to re-inject platelets drawn from a patient’s own blood), will be strictly restricted to doctors, dentists, pharmacists, midwives, and qualified nurses. Practitioners who flout the new regulations could face fixed penalty notices of up to £4,000 or unlimited fines.
Health Minister Emphasises Patient Safety
Health Minister Karin Smyth emphasised that patient safety must come first in an increasingly popular market.
“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,” she said. “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.”
Ms Smyth added: “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.”
Consultation and Industry Reaction
The government consultation follows widespread public outrage and campaigning after the death of Alice Webb, a 33-year-old mother of five who died in 2024 following a liquid BBL performed at a salon in Gloucester.
Alongside restrictions on severe procedures, the Government reaffirmed its commitment to establishing a mandatory licensing scheme for lower-risk treatments - such as facial Botox and lip fillers - to enforce hygiene and competence standards across high street salons.
The proposals have drawn strong reactions from across the healthcare and aesthetics sectors, with many praising the direction while surgeons urge ministers to close remaining loopholes.
Ashton Collins, Co-founder of Save Face - an accredited national register for non-surgical cosmetic practitioners and clinics - voiced his support for the crackdown.
“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,” he said. “This has led to serious and life-threatening complications. We urge everyone to respond to the consultation, and we look forward to the legislation being brought before Parliament.”
Victoria Brownlie, Chief Policy & Sustainability Officer for the British Beauty Council also welcomes the vital regulatory step.
“Over a number of years, the line between a beauty treatment and a medical procedure has blurred,” she said. “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.”
Keith Allison, Cosmetic Surgery Co-lead at the Royal College of Surgeons, warns the rules do not go far enough. He said: “A doctor should not be able to carry out cosmetic surgery simply because they hold a medical licence, and ministers must ensure they do not create a new loophole.”
The Government is launching a consultation to gather input from doctors, industry regulators, and business owners to draft the full legislative framework. The final blueprint is scheduled to be laid before Parliament in spring 2027.
