New Rules Proposed for High-Risk Cosmetic Procedures
Source reports published 21 Oct 2026, 9:06 am – 12:33 pm AEST
The UK government plans to restrict high-risk cosmetic procedures like Brazilian butt lifts and chemical peels to only qualified medical professionals. This aims to protect individuals from dangerous complications and ‘cosmetic cowboys’ operating unregulated.
What happened
- The UK government announced plans to introduce stricter regulations for high-risk cosmetic procedures, including liquid Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs), vampire facials, and chemical peels, starting in 2027.
- Currently, these ‘no scalpel’ procedures are performed by unregulated professionals, leading to reported complications and deaths.
- Alice Webb died within hours of receiving a liquid BBL in 2024, and Sasha Dean entered a coma after a similar procedure in 2024, developing sepsis after treatment took place in a private house.
- The proposed rules will legally define procedures like liquid BBLs as cosmetic surgical procedures, requiring only doctors to perform them.
- Restrictions will also apply to deep chemical peels, vampire facials, dermal micro-coring, and some laser procedures, limiting them to doctors, dentists, and certain nurses, midwives, and pharmacists with appropriate training.
- The government intends to ban cosmetic surgery and risky treatments for under-18s.
- Health Minister Karin Smyth stated the goal is to ‘drive cosmetic cowboys out of the market’ and raise standards.
- However, the Royal College of Surgeons of England expressed concerns that the proposals might not go far enough, urging the government to avoid creating new loopholes in patient protection.
- Scotland has already implemented regulations requiring these procedures to be performed by healthcare professionals in registered settings.
Original reporting
- BBC: Tighter rules planned to protect people from botched cosmetic surgery
2026-10-20T23:06:07.963000+00:00 - Sky News: Tough new rules on Brazilian butt lifts and chemical peels proposed
2026-10-21T02:33:00+00:00