EXCLUSIVEInside UKs dangerous world of non-surgical BBLs: How aestheticians can carry out procedures without regulation or training - despite risk of blood clots, sepsis and death
The tragedy of a mother-of-five who died after having a BBL procedure in the UK has raised fresh questions over the alarming lack of regulation in the fast-growing industry.
The tragedy of a mother-of-five who died after having a BBL procedure in the UK has raised fresh questions over the alarming lack of regulation in the fast-growing industry.
While Brits may be used to hearing about horror botched surgeries abroad, medical experts have today laid bare how practitioners shockingly require no training or qualifications to perform non-surgical BBLs in the UK.
The popularity of non-surgical BBLs, which involves injecting filler into the buttocks, has increased significantly with the rise of influencers, but doctors have raised serious concerns over the disgraceful lack of regulation.
Reacting to the death of 34-year-old mother Alice Webb, one leading UK plastic surgeon told MailOnline today: In the UK it is shockingly, not necessarily illegal, to inject filler when you are not medically qualified.
She added: This is another tragedy which with better regulation could have been prevented.
With more awareness being raised about the dangers of these procedures, a number of councils across the UK are cracking down on companies offering non-surgical treatments.
Alice Webb (pictured), 34, died on Monday just hours after having the non-surgical BBL procedure
Reacting to the death of Alice Webb, Dr Nora Nugent (pictured) told MailOnline today: This is totally outside of a regulated environment.
Last year, Wolverhampton City Council barred a company from carrying out non-surgical, or liquid, BBLs after identifying risks associated with their processes.
These included blood clots, sepsis, and the potential for the death of body tissues.
Five local authorities in Essex and Glasgow followed suit and have banned certain companies from carrying out liquid BBLs in their area.
Ms Webb died on Monday just hours after having the butt lift procedure, which is believed to have been performed in the West Country.
Gloucestershire Police confirmed it is investigating the death and has arrested two people on suspicion of manslaughter.
Dr Nora Nugent, vice president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, today repeated major concerns over the regulation of non-surgical BBLs in the UK.
The plastic surgeon told MailOnline: Im not directly involved, but I understand it was filler and this was done by an unqualified person in an unregulated environment.
Dr Nugent said that there are loopholes in the UK which allow non-medical practitioners to perform these surgeries, something she described as a total disgrace.
She added: This is totally outside of a regulated environment.
Love Island star Olivia Attwood has previously warned people off getting non-surgical BBLs due to lack of regulation
It is an issue in UK. I have to say, there are a couple of cases floating around that have gone wrong recently.
This is a non-surgical procedure, filler in the UK is not regulated. You do not have to be a medical practitioner to inject filler, its shocking.
It is a medical procedure, but it is not seen as such in a regulatory sense. It can have seriously dangerous consequences.
Dr Nugent described how there are two types of BBL, surgical which involves the transfer of fat and non-surgical which involves using filler.
She added: This was not a doctor, not a surgeon at all - and it fell outside of the medical environment.
For example, as a plastic surgeon I am required to have medical indemnity and to follow professional standards.
But someone who doesnt have any qualification can inject a substance, an invasive procedure, in some poor womans buttocks and here we have the consequences.
Alice (pictured) was an advanced aesthetic practitioner at Crystal Clear in Wotton-under-Edge and is thought to have had the procedure in the West Country
Dane Knight (left) has been left devastated by the death of his partner Alice Webb (right) who died after she had a Brazilian Bum Lift procedure in the UK
Alice was just 34 when she passed away following the bum lift procedure in the UK
We know there are risks with every procedure. But we are trained, we are doing it in regulated environment.
As a plastic surgeon, I have insurance, training, specialist registration. But someone can come along with any of that and perform an invasive procedure with awful consequences.
Dr Nugent said that there is no mandatory training for non surgical BBLs. She explained that while it is recommended and most non-medical practitioners have done a short raining course, some have not even done this before they start performing.
Love Island star Olivia Attwood warned people off BBL surgery in her documentary The Price of Perfection.
She told viewers: If I was to consider any treatment to give my bum a boost, I would do some serious research first. When it comes to the use of bum fillers, it seems to be a bit of a minefield.
During the show, Save Face Director Ashton Collins told her: It is incredibly risky. Our issue with it is when these vast amount of hyaluronic acid fillers are being injected into buttocks, that increases risk of complication significantly.
In the last 18 months, we had over 120 come forward with issues from this treatment - sepsis, severe infection, embolism, these are life threatening treatments.
Fat is first harvested from the hips, lower back, abdomen, thighs and other areas via liposuction . Special equipment is used to prepare it for transfer before it is injected directly into the glutes at specific points, giving the buttocks a bigger, curvier appearance
We had one woman who had to have her buttocks surgically removed because she had such a severe infection. Shes devastated, its impacted how she lives her life now. They think it is a risk-free cheaper alternative and its not.
When a treatment risks outweighs the benefits, they shouldnt be carried out.
Olivia then asked her: As it stands in the UK now, anyone can inject someone with filler and its not against the law?
Ms Collins replied: It is totally unregulated. Weve investigated people working in retail a week ago, done an online course, bought their products over the internet and start injecting people.
We want bum and boob fillers completely banned, they are just so unsafe.
Olivia finished by saying: I wouldnt say no to a little more volume in the back, I know from asking that Im not a suitable candidate for a BBL, so my only options were an implant which I wouldnt do, and filler.
To me the filler was looking like the attractive standout option, in and out, quick and easy.
After talking to Ashton today, no way. Theres a reason why doctors and surgeons arent doing dermal filler to the bum, its because they have too much to lose and the risk is too high. That should tell you everything you need to know.
In March, a mother-of-one also called for a ban on liquid BBLs after a botched procedure left her buttocks with leaking black holes and in pain worse than childbirth.
Monique Sofroniou, 30, from London, booked an appointment at what she believed was a reputable salon to enlarge her bottom after undergoing a Brazilian Butt Lift in 2021.
Earlier this year Monique Sofroniou (pictured), 30, called for a ban on liquid BBLs after a botched procedure left her buttocks with leaking black holes and in pain worse than childbirth
Pictured: An image of Moniques buttocks more than a year after getting botched bum filler with just scarring left
Monique was rushed to hospital where doctors attempted to remedy the situation (pictured: the mother-of-one after surgery in hospital to repair damage caused by the filler)
The aesthetician spent £3,000 on the non-surgical procedure to have one litre of filler injected into each bum cheek.
She was injected with silicone in a hotel room and has since been left with permanent scarring.
She says she woke up the night after the procedure with a temperature, her sides red raw, and she was being violently sick. Doctors sent her to hospital where they told her she had a severe infection.
Dr Thuva Amuthan, Expert Aesthetics Trainer, has also long been campaigning for improved regulation.
She told MailOnline: Practitioners that are not adequately medical trained, pose a greater risk to patient safety.
Without formal medical training, they often lack a deep understanding of human anatomy, particularly when it comes to complex procedures like fat transfer.
This makes it far more likely that non-medics will inject fat or fillers into the wrong anatomical planes, causing complications like fat embolism or vascular occlusion.
More concerning is their inability to recognise early warning signs of complications. Trained medical professionals can identify symptoms such as pain, swelling, or sudden shortness of breath, which may indicate life-threatening issues like infection, vascular blockage, or embolism.
Non-medics, by contrast, may miss these critical signs or fail to act swiftly enough, delaying the necessary emergency interventions that could save a patient’s life.
In a worst-case scenario, they may lack the skills and equipment to manage these complications effectively, leading to irreversible harm or fatality.
Dr Amuthan said that while cosmetic surgery in the UK is governed by the General Medical Council (GMC) and clinics must meet standards set by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), there are currently no regulations specific to BBL surgery itself.
She added: This leaves gaps in ensuring that patients receive the safest possible treatment. Non-surgical procedures, such as dermal fillers, are even less regulated, meaning non-medically trained individuals can legally perform these treatments.
Dr Amuthan said this can result in complications such as infections, blockage of blood vessels and facial disfigurement if fillers are incorrectly administered.
Laura Earps, a solicitor at Brabners Personal, added: Recently, there have been several alarming incidents, including the tragic death of Alice Webb, a mother of five, who passed away after undergoing a non-surgical BBL.
Non-surgical BBLs are often advertised and promoted as risk-free and cheaper alternatives to surgical BBLs however it is clear that this could not be further from the truth.’
