A “Wild West” of cosmetic procedures, including fat injections, Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs), Botox, and fillers, are being administered by untrained people in locations such as public restrooms, trading standards leaders have warned.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has called for immediate government intervention to address unregulated and unlicensed practitioners and treatments, as well as the venues where these procedures are offered.
The CTSI has uncovered alarming practices, including the administration of fillers in “shocking” locations such as pop-up shops on high streets, public toilet cubicles, and hotel rooms.
These locations, which fall outside typical business premises, pose challenges for enforcement.
The institute also raised concerns about the availability of “unsafe and unregulated” fillers online for as little as £20, as well as growing concerns over fat-dissolving injections like Lemon Bottle, which have “little to no regulatory oversight to ensure their safe use by the public.”
Furthermore, the CTSI highlighted a “postcode lottery” across the UK regarding the minimum age for such procedures, leading young people to cross borders for treatment.
The CTSI said lives could be at risk amid the “major gaps” in regulation on who is responsible for the products and procedures.
It also said no data is available on how often the NHS is having to deal with infections and life-threatening complications when things go wrong.
The CTSI issued a fresh warning to the public to check the qualifications of people offering cosmetic procedures, be wary of people advertising on social media and to not buy products to use at home.
Kerry Nicol, external affairs manager at the CTSI, said: “I am genuinely shocked by the scale of potential harm facing the public due to the alarming lack of regulation in the aesthetic industry.
“Consumers’ lives are being put at risk every single day. What’s worse is that many of these unregulated practitioners are preying on people’s vulnerabilities and the pressures they feel around body image, they are taking advantage of those who are often just looking for a boost to their confidence or self-esteem.
“Alarm bells would ring if someone was offering a tattoo in someone’s kitchen or a public toilet at a cheap price – so those are the alarm bells we need ringing for people offering facial injections in these kinds of settings.
“Action is urgently needed to crack down on the bad players operating in this sector.
“This isn’t an issue that Trading Standards alone can fix, it’s a Government and multi-agency responsibility that requires co-ordinated activity.
“A logical and immediate first step is the introduction of a national licensing scheme, giving the public a clear indication of who is qualified to carry out these procedures.
“It’s time the UK takes public safety seriously and weeds out those putting lives at risk.”
Ashton Collins, director at Save Face, a register of accredited practitioners, said: “Since 2023, we have been campaigning for the government to ban liquid BBLs from the high street and restrict their administration to qualified plastic surgeons.
“We cautioned that without urgent action, lives would be at risk, and sadly, in 2024, Alice Webb tragically lost her life after undergoing a liquid BBL procedure.
“Alongside CTSI, we are determined to ensure our call to restrict liquid BBLs is acted upon.
“Additionally, we are focused on reinforcing existing legislation that has long failed to protect patients from unscrupulous practitioners who continue to flaunt the law with impunity.
“For too long, regulations intended to safeguard patients have been inadequately policed and enforced.”
The Department of Health has been contacted for comment.
