Cosmetic cowboys running 'pop-up clinics in public toilets', watchdogs warn

Daily Mirror

6 hours ago

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has called for tighter regulations such as a Minister-led task force to tackle rogue outlets dishing out Brazilian Butt Lifts, botox and fillers
Cosmetic cowboys are dishing out dangerous procedures in "pop-up" clinics in public toilet cubicles and hotel rooms, watchdogs warn today. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) said rogue outlets dishing out Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBL), botox and fillers must be subject to tighter regulations to stop them posing a danger to life.
Experts said there is a "wild west of untrained, unlicensed and uninsured individuals". A probe by Trading Standards officers discovered shocking "pop up" shops on high streets, cubicles in public toilets and hotel rooms. It means unscrupulous providers of cosmetic surgery - including the soaring popularity of fat injections - are able to vanish before they face action.
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And the officers also uncovered "unsafe and unregulated filler products" being sold online to everyday consumers for as little as £20. Richard Knight, CTSI Lead Officer for Cosmetics and Beauty, said: 'Trading Standards have warned that in most cases the products and services in the aesthetics injectable sector are unregulated.
"Because of the big gap between the lack of hard and fast safety rules, and consumer expectations of their protection under the law, we are gathering evidence of harms to the public as part of a joint initiative to urge law-makers to adopt a cross-Government approach to tackling this Wild West situation.'
Last year The Mirror launched a campaign to ban cosmetic cowboys. We are calling for beauty clinics offering potentially dangerous procedures such as Brazilian butt lifts and liposuction to be licensed by the Quality Care Commission. It is over a decade since the Government was warned about the need for control of the market in aesthetic procedures.
But the CTSI says there "remains a vacuum which has already put lives at risk". Last September, we reported mum-of-five Alice Webb, 33, became the first to die after a liquid Brazilian butt lift in a UK clinic. Meanwhile mum-of-two Jodie Nicholson, 30, was taken to A&E with sepsis after a BBL.
In light of a wave of Brits facing terrifying health complications, the CTSI are today calling for a licensing scheme to help regulate the sector and the establishment of a Ministerial-led government Task Force. Ahead of the UK's Trading Standards' Annual Conference this week, the Institute is now working with a coalition of national charities.
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And they are demanding an extension of underage legislation to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as the removal of unsafe products sold online Kerry Nicol, External Affairs Manager at CTSI, said: 'I am genuinely shocked by the scale of potential harm facing the public due to the alarming lack of regulation in the aesthetic industry.
"Consumers' lives are being put at risk every single day. What's worse is that many of these unregulated practitioners are preying on people's vulnerabilities and the pressures they feel around body image, they are taking advantage of those who are often just looking for a boost to their confidence or self-esteem.
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'Alarm bells would ring if someone was offering a tattoo in someone's kitchen or a public toilet at a cheap price - so those are the alarm bells we need ringing for people offering facial injections in these kinds of settings.
"Action is urgently needed to crack down on the bad players operating in this sector. This isn't an issue that Trading Standards alone can fix, it's a Government and multi-agency responsibility that requires coordinated activity.
'A logical and immediate first step is the introduction of a national licensing scheme, giving the public a clear indication of who is qualified to carry out these procedures. It's time the UK takes public safety seriously and weed out those putting lives at risk.'
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Ian Andrews, Head of Environmental Health at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), said: 'We're concerned about CTSI's findings and would welcome clarity from the Government on when further legislation will be consulted on because what our members currently work with is outdated.
The creation of a national licensing scheme would ensure that all those who practise are competent and trained, improving safety for members of the public.'
Ashton Collins, Director at Save Face, said: 'We are delighted to join forces with CTSI on this campaign. Since 2023, we have been campaigning for the government to ban liquid BBLs from the high street and restrict their administration to qualified plastic surgeons.
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"We cautioned that without urgent action, lives would be at risk, and sadly, in 2024, Alice Webb tragically lost her life after undergoing a liquid BBL procedure. Alongside CTSI, we are determined to ensure our call to restrict liquid BBLs is acted upon.
"Additionally, we are focused on reinforcing existing legislation that has long failed to protect patients from unscrupulous practitioners who continue to flaunt the law with impunity.
"For too long, regulations intended to safeguard patients have been inadequately policed and enforced. Together, we aim to address the illegal importation of unlicensed products, remote prescriptions, and misleading advertising on social media.
"We strongly believe that by successfully implementing these measures, we can significantly improve industry standards and safeguard the public.'
Cheryl Barton, Lead Nurse at Aesthetika Clinic, said: 'It is very important that any untoward or adverse effects, events or reactions from taking or receiving any medicines, injections or from treatments using medical devices are reported to MHRA."