England to restrict high-risk cosmetic procedures to trained professionals

Plans cover liquid BBLs, vampire facials and chemical peels, with fines of up to £4,000 for rogue providers

By LineZotpaper

Published21 October 2026

Read Time3 min

The UK government has proposed long-awaited rules for England that would restrict high-risk cosmetic procedures such as liquid Brazilian butt lifts, vampire facials and deep chemical peels to properly trained professionals, ban them for under-18s and create new criminal offences for rogue providers. The draft plans, which would introduce fixed fines of up to £4,000, are expected to go through parliament in spring 2027.

The proposals target what Health Minister Karin Smyth called "cosmetic cowboys," after reports of procedures being carried out in Airbnbs, hotel rooms, garden sheds and public toilets. Currently there are no restrictions over who can perform these "no scalpel" treatments, which can harm or kill if not done safely.

The plans follow high-profile cases of harm. Alice Webb, a mother of five from Gloucestershire, died within hours of receiving a liquid Brazilian butt lift in 2024. That same year, Sasha Dean, from Bedfordshire, was left in a coma after a liquid BBL, part of which took place in a private house. She developed sepsis and told BBC News: "Very quickly it turned into a complete nightmare. I had a heart attack, one of my lungs had collapsed, my kidneys were failing. My body was just completely shutting down."

Under the new rules, fillers injected into parts of the body other than the face, such as liquid BBLs, would be legally defined as cosmetic surgical procedures, meaning only doctors could perform them. High-risk non-surgical treatments, including deep chemical peels, vampire facials, dermal micro-coring and some laser procedures, would be limited to doctors, dentists and trained nurses, midwives and pharmacists. Cosmetic surgery and risky treatments would be banned for under-18s; lip fillers and face Botox on children have already been stopped.

Smyth said: "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 British Beauty Council said the government should be congratulated for tackling the issue head-on. However, Keith Allison of the Royal College of Surgeons of England called the consultation "long overdue" and said the proposals did not go far enough. "Ministers must ensure they do not create a new loophole in patient protection by regulating non-surgical cosmetic procedures more robustly than cosmetic surgery itself. A doctor should not be able to carry out cosmetic surgery simply because they hold a medical license," he said.

The government will now seek views from doctors, businesses, regulators and the public before the plans go through 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 alongside, certain healthcare professionals in a registered setting, with non-surgical procedures banned for under-18s. Wales and Northern Ireland currently have no dedicated regulations covering cosmetic procedures.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Non-surgical cosmetic procedures currently sit outside the rules that govern cosmetic surgery, leaving a safety gap that campaigners say has been linked to deaths and serious injuries.
Consumers considering treatments such as liquid BBLs, vampire facials and chemical peels would gain a clearer basis to expect qualified, registered providers.
The proposals would create new criminal offences and fines for rogue providers and stop high-risk treatments on under-18s in England.

Background

The plans come after years of warnings about the booming market in non-surgical cosmetic treatments, which have largely been unregulated in England. The government began consulting on changes in 2023, and the issue gained urgency after the 2024 death of Alice Webb and the serious illness of Sasha Dean following liquid BBL procedures. Scotland has already moved to tighten its own rules, while Wales and Northern Ireland have no dedicated regulations. The government says the aim is to raise standards across the industry and give reputable businesses a fair chance to compete.

Key Perspectives

Ministers: Karin Smyth says the goal is to drive "cosmetic cowboys" out of the market and help people identify safe, qualified providers they can trust.

British Beauty Council: The industry body welcomed the plans, congratulating the government for tackling the issue head-on.

Royal College of Surgeons of England: Keith Allison called the consultation welcome but "long overdue" and warned that regulating non-surgical procedures more strictly than cosmetic surgery itself could create a new loophole, arguing that a medical licence alone should not qualify a doctor to perform cosmetic surgery.

What to Watch

The consultation with doctors, businesses, regulators and the public before the draft rules go to parliament in spring 2027.
Whether ministers address the Royal College of Surgeons' warning about a potential loophole between non-surgical and surgical regulation.
Whether Wales and Northern Ireland follow with their own rules, and how England's approach compares with the laws already passed in Scotland.

Sources

Tighter rules planned to protect people from cosmetic surgery that goes badly wrong · BBC News

Checked

11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedEngland plans to restrict high-risk cosmetic procedures to properly trained professionals.BBC News: “Only properly trained professionals will be allowed to offer high-risk cosmetic procedures like liquid Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs), vampire facials and chemical peels, under long-awaited government plans for England in 2027.”
SupportedThe government says rogue providers will face fixed fines of up to £4,000.BBC News: “rogue providers will face new criminal offences and fixed fines of up to £4,000.”
SupportedThe draft plans are expected to go through parliament in spring 2027.BBC News: “before plans go through parliament in spring 2027.”
Partly supportedReports describe procedures being carried out in Airbnbs, hotel rooms, garden sheds and public toilets.BBC News: “It comes following horror stories of procedures reportedly carried out in Airbnbs, hotel rooms, garden sheds and even public toilets”
SupportedAlice Webb died within hours of receiving a liquid Brazilian butt lift in 2024.BBC News: “Alice Webb, a mother-of-five from Gloucestershire, died within hours of getting a liquid Brazilian butt lift in 2024.”
SupportedSasha Dean said, “Very quickly it turned into a complete nightmare. I had a heart attack, one of my lungs had collapsed, my kidneys were failing. My body was just completely shutting down.”BBC News: “She told BBC News: “Very quickly it turned into a complete nightmare. “I had a heart attack, one of my lungs had collapsed, my kidneys were failing. My body was just completely shutting down.””
SupportedFillers injected into the body outside the face, such as liquid BBLs, would be legally defined as cosmetic surgery that only doctors could perform.BBC News: “Fillers injected into parts of the body other than the face, like liquid BBLs, will be legally defined as cosmetic surgical procedures, meaning only doctors could perform the surgery”
Partly supportedHigh-risk non-surgical treatments would be limited to doctors, dentists and trained nurses, midwives and pharmacists.BBC News: “High-risk non-surgical or wellbeing treatments, including deep chemical peels, vampire facials, dermal micro-coring and some laser procedures would be restricted to doctors, dentists and some nurses, midwives and pharmacists who have been trained”
SupportedHealth Minister Karin Smyth said, “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.”BBC News: “Health Minister Karin Smyth said: “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.””
SupportedThe proposals would ban cosmetic surgery and risky treatments for under-18s.BBC News: “Cosmetic surgery and risky treatments will be banned for under 18s”
SupportedKeith Allison called the consultation “long overdue” and said the proposals did not go far enough.BBC News: “Mr Keith Allison, from the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said the consultation was “long overdue” and, while welcome, the proposals did not go far enough.”