LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — The United Kingdom (UK) government on Thursday announced plans to tighten rules on high-risk cosmetic procedures such as so-called Brazilian butt lifts amid a surge in such treatments.

The health department said in a statement that “tough new measures” would “crack down on cowboy cosmetic procedures that have left people maimed, injured and in need of urgent care”.

They include mandating that only qualified health professionals who are registered with the care regulator can carry out procedures like buttock enhancement surgery or the injection of fillers into breasts and genitals.

Clinics offering lower-risk treatments like Botox and lip fillers would need to meet certain standards to obtain a licence by their local authority, the Department of Health and Social Care added.

The government said the measures “follow growing alarm over unqualified individuals performing invasive treatments in unsafe environments — including homes, hotels, and pop-up clinics”.

“Many of these procedures are marketed as non-surgical but, in reality, are invasive and carry serious risks,” said the health department’s statement.

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons recorded almost 27,500 surgical procedures in 2024, a five per cent increase from the year before.

The health department added that there had been several incidents where people had received such treatments from providers “with little or no medical training, leading to dangerous complications, permanent scarring and even death”.

Last month, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute warned that fat injections, buttock enhancement surgery, Botox and fillers were being offered by untrained people in places such as public toilets.

The Save Face charity said it had supported more than 750 women who have suffered unsafe procedures.

Junior health minister Karin Smyth said the proposed measures would give patients “peace of mind” and reduce the cost to the state-run National Health Service “of fixing botched procedures”.

Under the plans, which will first go to a consultation next year, under 18s will be restricted from cosmetic procedures deemed risky, unless authorised by a health professional.

That will prevent children from “dangerous beauty trends on social media”, the department said.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said 41 people have suffered adverse reactions following cosmetic procedures involving botulinum toxin since early June.

Symptoms included difficulty swallowing, slurred speech and breathing problems, the agency said.