England plans tighter rules for high-risk cosmetic procedures

England plans to restrict who can carry out high-risk cosmetic procedures, with new rules expected to take effect in 2027. The proposals would reserve treatments including liquid Brazilian butt lifts and some chemical peels for trained healthcare professionals, and ban high-risk procedures for under-18s. [1]

Fillers injected into the body outside the face would be legally classified as cosmetic surgery, meaning only doctors could carry them out under the plans. Other treatments—including vampire facials, dermal micro-coring, deep chemical peels and some laser procedures—would be limited to trained doctors, dentists and some nurses, midwives and pharmacists.

Providers who break the rules could face new criminal offences and fixed fines of up to £4,000. The government says the measures are intended to improve safety and drive unqualified operators out of the market.

The proposals follow years of calls for tighter regulation and a government consultation that began in 2023. Alice Webb, a mother of five from Gloucestershire, died in 2024 after becoming unwell following a liquid Brazilian butt lift. That year, Sasha Dean was left in a coma after a similar procedure and developed sepsis. She told the BBC that she had suffered a heart attack, a collapsed lung and failing kidneys.

The Royal College of Surgeons of England welcomed the proposals but said they did not go far enough. Keith Allison, speaking for the college, warned that ministers must avoid regulating non-surgical treatments more strictly than cosmetic surgery, and said holding a medical licence alone should not qualify someone to perform cosmetic surgery. The British Beauty Council praised the government for addressing the issue.

The government will consult doctors, businesses, regulators, the public and other experts on draft rules before the plans go to Parliament in spring 2027. The proposals apply to England. Scotland has separate rules requiring cosmetic procedures to be carried out by, or alongside, certain healthcare professionals in registered settings; Wales and Northern Ireland do not have dedicated regulations covering cosmetic procedures, according to the BBC. [1]