Latest news with #BrazilianButtLifts
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
TikTok influencers to warn against Brazilian butt lift dangers
TikTok influencers will warn about the dangers of getting Brazilian butt lifts and other cosmetic procedures abroad in a new government campaign. Ministers said it would help the public make 'more informed choices before they go under the knife' in a foreign country. In recent years, there has been a surge in the number of British people travelling to countries such as Turkey for hair transplants, dental work and other operations. But the NHS has warned that it has been left to 'pick up the pieces' of botched butt lifts and other mishaps when people return to the UK. Foreign Office data show that 28 British people have died in Turkey after travelling abroad for medical procedures since 2019. The cost to NHS hospitals dealing with complications caused by foreign cosmetic procedures is estimated to be more than £1m annually. The procedure known as a BBL is the fastest-growing cosmetic surgery operation, but also one of the most dangerous. Prof Sir Stephen Powis, the former NHS national medical director, has previously said: 'The NHS will always be there for those who need it, but should not be left to pick up the pieces of botched BBLs.' The Government will use social media influencers to highlight the risks of travelling abroad for cosmetic procedures. It is working with medical influencers such as Midwife Marley and Doc Tally to create videos showing the risks of cosmetic surgery abroad. The content will urge patients to speak to a UK doctor first and avoid package holidays that include procedures. It will also include a checklist for patients to consider before they book a procedure, which includes checking the credentials of surgeons, the clinic's regulations, and understanding the aftercare. The initiative is part of a wider government drive to tackle medical tourism and ensure the NHS is not left to foot the bill when complications arise. Karin Smyth, a health minister, said: 'Too many people are being left with life-altering injuries after going abroad for medical procedures, without access to proper advice or safeguards, often drawn in by deals too good to be true and promoted by influencers – some of whom have never been to the practice in question. 'By partnering with TikTok, we're helping people make safer, more informed choices before they go under the knife – wherever that may be.' Stephen Doughty, a Foreign Office minister, said the campaign would 'explain the risks and help British people understand the actions they can take to keep themselves safe when abroad'. 'We urge anyone considering a medical procedure abroad to review our travel advice, relevant guidance from the NHS and other professional bodies, and research foreign providers thoroughly to ensure they meet the highest standard of care,' he added. The initiative comes after ministers outlined plans to cut down on 'cowboy' cosmetic procedures in the UK by introducing new restrictions. In 2024, Demi Agoglia, a 26-year-old mother of three from Salford, Greater Manchester, died from a microscopic fat embolism after a BBL in Istanbul. An inquest heard she was said to be 'conscious about the way she looked' and insisted on undergoing the BBL procedure. In 2023, Hayley Dowell, 38, died in Turkey after a surgeon left halfway through an operation. She suffered medical complications at a private clinic after she had the procedure along with a tummy tuck and liposuction as part of a package that cost more than £7,000. In 2022, Melissa Kerr, 31, from Denton, Norfolk, died following a BBL in private hospital in Istanbul. An inquest heard she was only given 'limited information regarding the risks and mortality rate' associated with the procedure. The Department of Health unveiled proposals which include only allowing 'suitably qualified' and Care Quality Commission-regulated health workers to deliver high-risk procedures such as BBLs. Clinics offering Botox and fillers will need licences, and age restrictions will be introduced to prevent children from trying to follow 'dangerous beauty trends on social media'. Those who break the rules will face sanctions, including financial penalties, officials said. In July, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute warned that fat injections, BBLs, Botox and fillers were being offered by untrained people in places such as public toilets. There have also been concerns about rising numbers of people poisoned by fake Botox, leaving consumers struggling with breathing and swallowing problems, and slurred speech, after suffering from botulism.
ITV News
06-08-2025
- Health
- ITV News
Government crackdown on 'Wild West' cosmetic industry after two-year-long ITV News investigation
Ministers have announced plans to crackdown on 'cowboy' cosmetic procedures by introducing new laws to restrict who can provide treatments. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said that steps will be taken to protect people from 'rogue operators' with no medical training who often provide 'invasive' procedures including in homes, hotels and pop-up clinics. As part of these new measures, only 'qualified health professionals' will be able to deliver high-risk procedures, such as non-surgical Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBLs). This change follows a two-year-long ITV News investigation, highlighting cases where individuals underwent high-risk treatments from practitioners with little or no medical training, resulting in serious complications, permanent scarring, and even death. In September last year, mum-of-five Alice Webb died after she suffered complications following a liquid BBL, a procedure which involves cosmetic fluid being injected into the buttocks. In an exclusive interview with ITV News, Alice's partner Dane Knight said that while the rules changing provided their family 'some comfort', he believes she would still be alive today if the government had acted sooner. "What we know now, it wouldn't have happened…it would have prevented it," he said. Mr Knight said he hopes 'something gets put in place before it happens again and another family's just ripped apart and destroyed because it will if something's not done sooner rather than later'. Also responding to the government's announcement is Sasha Dean, who was placed in a coma and given a 5% chance of survival after undergoing the same liquid BBL treatment. Whilst in intensive care, Sasha experienced a heart attack, fitting and kidney failure following complications from her procedure. Sasha told ITV News that while she welcomed the stricter regulations, she was 'frustrated we've had to have a death to get to this'. In the UK, it is not currently a requirement that procedures such as the liquid BBL are performed by a regulated healthcare professional. In 2023, ITV News' undercover reporter was able to partake in a one-day-course and, after just half an hour of theory, was invited to inject a live model. Last year, secret filming by ITV News also gave an insight into a similar "fat reduction" liposuction course, carried out by a trainer with no medical qualifications. In our special program, Britain's Backstreet Surgery Scandal, Heath Secretary Wes Streeting vowed to take action. Now, proposals state that specialist healthcare workers providing procedures like non-surgical BBLs will have to be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Those who break the rules on high-risk procedures could face sanctions from the watchdog and financial penalties. Proposed plans will also cover other lower risk cosmetic treatments, including Botox, lip fillers and facial dermal fillers. Clinics offering these procedures will need to be licensed through a new local authority system. Practitioners will need to meet safety, training, and insurance standards before they can legally operate. Before the proposed regulations come into force, the Government has urged people seeking cosmetic procedures to ask for the provider's qualifications and insurance, and to be wary of 'suspiciously cheap' offers. Last month, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute warned that fat injections, BBLs, Botox and fillers are being offered by untrained people in places such as public toilets. Health minister Karin Smyth said: 'The cosmetics industry has been plagued by a Wild West of dodgy practitioners and procedures. 'There are countless horror stories of cosmetic cowboys causing serious, catastrophic damage. 'This government is taking action to protect those seeking treatments, support honest and competent practitioners, and root out the cowboys as part of our Plan for Change. 'This isn't about stopping anyone from getting treatments – it's about preventing rogue operators from exploiting people at the expense of their safety and keeping people safe.' However, who fits under the umbrella of 'qualified health professionals' is currently unclear, as well as the full list of procedures included. The Department of Health said that it will launch another consultation next year seeking views on the range of procedures which should be covered under the new restrictions. Tim Mitchell, president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England), said that the government's move is an "important first step forward', but that there is more to be done. 'It's encouraging to see recognition of the risks associated with procedures such as liquid Brazilian Butt Lifts. "However, we believe this procedure, along with any intervention designed for buttock, breast or genital augmentation, should only be performed by a Cosmetic Surgery Board Certified surgeon. 'Medical oversight is essential to prevent serious complications and protect individuals from lasting physical and psychological harm and, at worst, death.'
TimesLIVE
01-08-2025
- Health
- TimesLIVE
Popular BBL and liposuction expert Dr Pert has died
Aesthetics doctor and body sculpting expert Dr Pertunia Mathibe, known as Dr Pert, has died. Her clinic confirmed her passing on Thursday. 'It is with great sadness to announce the passing of Dr Pert of Dr Pert Centre for Body Sculpting. 'We are heartbroken by this loss. She was a light to many and her legacy lives on through the countless lives she touched. We ask for privacy and respect for the family and team.' Shortly before her death, her team announced the cancellation of appointments scheduled for Thursday. Dr Pert was one of South Africa's leading body sculpting specialists, with more than 100 successful procedures performed. She graduated from Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University and founded the Dr Pert Centre for Body Sculpting in Pretoria. She was known for her Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBLs), liposuction and anti-ageing treatments, mostly done on celebrities and influencers. Her popularity soared between 2020 and 2021 after popular influencers shared their experiences on social media. Her death sent shock waves through the medical and aesthetic communities.
Daily Mirror
16-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Size of illegal cosmetic surgery trade unknown, health regulator admits
Andy Morling, a director of criminal enforcement at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, said they 'don't have a baseline to understand how big this trade is' The official health regulator has admitted it does not know how big the criminal cosmetic surgery trade is. Andy Morling, a director of criminal enforcement at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), told MPs they 'don't have a baseline to understand how big this trade is'. He admitted this means officials are unable to know whether the illegal trade is 'growing or reducing'. Mr Morling said around 2,000 illegally traded botox doses had been seized over the last two years - which suggests the trade is 'relatively small' compared to the 17.5 million doses of illegally traded medicine seized last year. But he admitted to the Commons' women and equalities committee: "We don't have a baseline to understand how big this trade is. Any crime is difficult to measure to any degree of certainty because it's a hidden thing. Crime is naturally not done in plain sight most of the time.' Talking about his suggestion that the trade is 'relatively small', he added: 'Our intelligence, and we work on intelligence, gathering it from multiple different sources, to come to these conclusions. 'So whilst I haven't put a size on it, and I wouldn't be able to put a size on it, and I also wouldn't be able to put a size on whether it's growing or reducing, I'm afraid, because without a baseline, that would be meaningless, what I am saying is, for us based on our current intelligence picture, it is not as significant as some other areas of the illegal trade in medicines. That doesn't mean to say we're not giving it attention because we are.' It came as Sarah Owen, Labour MP and committee chairwoman, grilled health and safety directors at the Department for Health and Social Care, the NHS and the MHRA. She questioned how practitioners were not being sent to prison for causing horrific damage through botched cosmetic procedures - pointing out that if they did that sort of harm with a 'baseball bat' there would be no question of it. She told them: 'There is a huge sector now worth billions of pounds to the UK economy that has non-surgical procedures, and we heard about the horrors of liquid Brazilian Butt Lifts. And how Sasha, who came to give evidence, ended up with sepsis and in a coma and given a 5% chance of living. And thankfully, she was able to come and give us evidence. The Mirror's three cosmetic demands 1. Cosmetic operations such as liposuction, surgical face lifts and surgical eye lifts, should only be carried out by properly trained surgeons on the GMC specialist register. These surgeons should have UK Board Certification in Cosmetic Surgery for their area of practice. 2. All operations and high risk procedures must be surgically safe and carried out in clinics and hospitals inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). 3. Make it a legal requirement for beauty clinics who offer non-surgical interventions to have malpractice insurance. 'Why is it that in the UK, you can buy filler, anybody, any of us, could buy filler and inject it into our faces, whereas in many other countries it would be illegal to do so. 'And why is it on the criminal enforcement side of it that that person that did that to Sasha, that money, that damage to her, is still able to practice on her high street in her local town, whereas if she had done that damage with to Sasha with a baseball bat, she'd actually be in prison. Why is it that any of us could buy filler and botox in this country?' Dr Alison Cave, chief safety officer at the MHRA, said they were 'actively looking' at a range of products, which don't currently have a medical claim. Mr Morling said: 'Criminals need to be treated like criminals.' But he also said behaviour needed to be scrutinised, adding: 'I firmly believe there are a number of practitioners out there who just don't know what they're doing is illegal, so their behaviour can be changed. So it's about changing the behaviour of the offender, but also changing the behaviour of the customer.' In a victory for the Mirror 's cosmetic surgery campaign, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said ministers will set out new cosmetic surgery regulations to deal with misconduct in the UK over the next week.
The Irish Sun
10-07-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
I'm a masseuse & many of my clients have BBLs – the disgusting truth will make you think twice about getting one
A MASSEUSE has shared the grim reality of getting a Brazilian Butt Lift. Neiden, from the UK, took to social media to share her experience as she had many clients with 2 Neiden shared her experience working with BBL clients Credit: Tiktok/@neidenefitness 2 She was left horrified by what she saw Credit: Getty The woman had worked with numerous people who had the She said: "To start off, what I've seen are gaping wound holes. Speaker 1: gaping wound holes like they're open. "Why would you call me to come and give you a massage while the holes are gaping and they're open?" Neiden said that often the wounds aren't even dressed in bandages and that when she is massaging the area, air comes gushing out of the holes. READ MORE REAL LIFE STORIES The masseuse said that many of her clients with a BBL end up in constant pain and are unable to walk properly because of it. "It's just agonising pain," she added. "Not being able to walk, not being able to sit, not being able to lie down." Another grim reality was that many people were unable to clean their bum properly because of the procedure. "It's a breeding ground for infection," she claimed. Most read in Fabulous Naiden said these were just some of the side effects, and that wasn't even the worst of it. She said other clients have told her they needed blood transfusions and needed to be resuscitated all for a 'big bum.' 'Katie Price's BBL doctor nearly KILLED me' - Self-styled celeb 'beauty consultant' charging women £2k for ops exposed The biggest shock for Naiden was that many of these women had kids at home and were risking their lives for their looks. She added: "I know the streets are hard but you don't need the big bum to survive." The clip has since gone viral on her TikTok account @ People were quick to share their thoughts in the comments. One person wrote: "Having a BBL sounds like a disease." Another commented: "Whoever I know who has had a BBL have all said the same it's so scary." What are Brazilian Butt Lifts and why are they so popular? Buttock enlargement surgery - known as a Brazilian butt-lift (BBL) - is used to make the bum look bigger, rounded and lifted. Surgeons transfer fat, inject filler or insert silicone-filled implants. It is the fastest growing cosmetic procedure but also one of the most dangerous, according to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS). Many patients are travelling to the likes of Turkey or seeking out unregistered surgeons in the UK and are not given full information on the risks. BBLs carry the highest risk of all cosmetic surgeries - with more than one death occurring per 4,000 procedures. Due to celebrities undergoing such ops, many women are hoping to emulate their looks. Consultant clinical psychologist Dr Anu Sayal-Bennett, a chartered member of the British Psychological Society, told Many people travel abroad for the procedure because it is cheaper and advertising is "terribly seductive", combined with the idea of a beach holiday, added Dr Sayal-Bennett. "I didn't even get a surgery but I feel traumatised from the stories at this point," penned a third. Meanwhile a fourth said: "BBLs are dystopian." "BBLs need to stop,' claimed a fifth Someone else added: "Please listen to her don't get it. If you get any complications the NHS or even any private health service in the UK will refuse to fix it."
