MPs heard evidence on the risks associated with non-surgical cosmetic procedures and cosmetic surgery at the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) at the Palace of Westminster on September 9.
Ashton Collins, director of Save Face, and Ms Nora Nugent, plastic surgeon and president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, told the committee that Government action to address unsafe cosmetic procedures had been too slow.
The session followed the Government’s response, published in August 2025, to its consultation on the licensing and regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures. It forms part of Parliament’s plans to introduce a national licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England.
Collins and Ms Nugent said the consultation had raised awareness of the risks but had not resulted in enough practical action, while further consultations could delay regulation. They also warned that high-risk procedures continue to be carried out by unqualified or unregulated practitioners in settings including homes, bedrooms and beauty salons.
According to Save Face, complaints about liquid Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs) have fallen from around six to nine a week at their peak to approximately six a month. However, the organisation said the decline did not mean the risks had disappeared, with practitioners increasingly moving towards more invasive procedures, including those involving scalpels.
The committee also heard concerns about the regulatory framework for cosmetic practitioners. Qualified surgeons are subject to requirements including professional registration, indemnity insurance, appraisal and revalidation, while practitioners without equivalent qualifications can use titles such as cosmetic surgeon. Collins and Ms Nugent said this can make it difficult for patients to identify appropriately qualified professionals. Ms Nugent proposed a central record of cosmetic procedures as one potential way to improve patient safety. While she said a national database would be desirable, Ms Nugent acknowledged that establishing one could take time.
Ms Nugent told Aesthetics, “BAAPS is concerned by the lack of, and delay in, a Government response to the report published by the WEC following its inquiry last year. We are also deeply concerned by the continued delay in the long-awaited implementation of regulation for the aesthetics sector and dismayed that the next step may be yet another consultation. We urgently need meaningful regulatory action that puts patient safety first, establishes clear standards for those providing aesthetic procedures, and ensures there are meaningful consequences for individuals who operate outside the regulatory framework.”
Collins added, “I was pleased to see much of my original testimony and recommendations reflected in the Committee’s report on cosmetic procedures, published earlier this year, particularly its support for our campaign to ban or restrict liquid BBLs. I reiterate the urgent need to prevent high-risk procedures, including liquid BBLs, from being carried out by laypeople. I also highlighted the wider challenges patients face when they fall into unsafe hands, the failures that allow unqualified practitioners to operate, and the important role of the Save Face register in helping the public identify practitioners who have undergone independent assessment.”