The government has proposed limiting liquid Brazilian butt lifts, vampire facials and deep chemical peels in England to qualified healthcare professionals, it said on Wednesday, October 21.
Under draft regulations, fillers injected into any part of the body other than the face, including liquid BBLs, would be legally defined as cosmetic surgery, so only doctors could carry them out.
Other high-risk treatments, including deep chemical peels, vampire facials, dermal micro-coring and some laser procedures, would be restricted to doctors, dentists and some nurses, midwives and pharmacists. Those nurses, midwives and pharmacists would need to have completed accredited training that allows them to prescribe medicines.
Health Minister Karin Smyth said the aim was to “drive cosmetic cowboys out of the market” and to raise standards for reputable businesses.
Providers who break the rules could face criminal prosecution, with unlimited fines or fixed penalties of up to £4,000.
The consultation page says the Care Quality Commission would take enforcement action against providers who fail to comply.
The consultation document adds that providers would have to be registered with the regulator. Those operating without registration could face a fine of any amount, a prison sentence of up to 12 months, or both.
Providers who allow an unqualified practitioner to perform a procedure could also face a fine of any amount.
The department said the rules would close a loophole that has let ill-qualified practitioners perform high-risk procedures in hotel rooms without regulatory oversight.
Risky cosmetic or wellbeing treatments would also be barred for people under 18. Exceptions would apply where the NHS provides the procedure or a healthcare professional is treating a medical condition.
Fillers for children are already restricted under the Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Act 2021, so the new age bar would not duplicate that offence.
The document describes the current framework as one that places few restrictions on who can perform cosmetic procedures.
It points to the death of a patient at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in September 2024 after a liquid BBL, which it says prompted widespread calls for action.
On August 7, 2025, the government responded to a 2023 consultation that drew more than 11,800 responses. It committed to dealing with the highest-risk procedures first.
A separate licensing scheme is still planned for lower-risk treatments such as Botox and lip filler.
Victoria Brownlie, chief policy and sustainability officer at the British Beauty Council, called the plan “a vital step towards the required regulation”. She also welcomed the promise of a licensing scheme to follow.
Ashton Collins, director of Save Face, said the consultation lets the public, practitioners and experts help shape the final framework. “We urge everyone to respond,” she said.
Cosmetic doctor Dr Leah Totton said “Cosmetic treatments are medical treatments” and that patients deserve to know their practitioner is appropriately qualified.
The consultation asks whether respondents agree with the proposals, which procedures and professional groups should be covered, and what effect the changes would have on businesses and the people they work with.
It closes on January 13, 2027, and the government plans to take the regulations through Parliament in spring 2027.