In a significant move highlighting public health concerns, the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) in the UK has urged the government to ban Brazilian butt lifts amid findings that the cosmetic surgery industry operates in a largely unregulated and dangerous manner. Their nine-month inquiry revealed that such high-risk procedures are being performed in unsuitable venues, including garden sheds and hotel rooms, often by untrained individuals. This situation has fostered a ‘wild west’ environment where safety measures are nearly non-existent, posing serious health risks to those undergoing these procedures.

The committee emphasized that non-surgical buttock augmentations, which currently have no regulatory oversight, need to be strictly banned, and a comprehensive licensing system for other, lower-risk cosmetic treatments should be urgently established. The MPs expressed their concerns over the slow response from government ministers, arguing that insufficient action is cultivating a culture of complacency within the self-regulating cosmetic procedures industry. They called for immediate, decisive actions to safeguard public health and ensure that the risks associated with these treatments are effectively managed.

Additionally, the report pointed out the deadly potential of procedures like the liquid Brazilian butt lift, which has been linked to past fatalities. The WEC insists that steps should be taken quickly without waiting for further public consultations, highlighting the urgency of protecting individuals from high-harm cosmetic treatments. As the debate continues, this move could reshape the landscape of cosmetic surgery regulation in the UK, leading to safer practices and increased accountability within this controversial industry.