wayhomestudio / Freepik
They can be carried out in hotel rooms, garden storage rooms and public bathrooms. Although considered “non-surgical”, some of these procedures are highly invasive and pose a high risk to patients.
The aesthetic procedure known as Brazilian butt lift (BBL), sought after by those who want increase glutesis in the sights of Parliament and the government in the United Kingdom.
In a published this Wednesday, the British Parliament’s Women and Equalities Committee recommended that legislation be changed to restrict only for doctors the right to carry out this and other procedures considered high risk.
Currently, there is no regulation in the country that determines which professionals can or cannot conduct procedures that do not involve incisions.
This legal loopholeaccording to the final report released by the Commission, created a “lawless” market in which procedures are carried out “in properties rented by Airbnb, hotel rooms, garden storage rooms and public restrooms.”
Some of these procedures, despite being considered “non-surgical“, are highly invasive and with high risk for patientsas is the case of breast augmentation using saline solution and the “non-surgical” version of BBL, in which “fillers” such as hyaluronic acid are used.
In recent years, several cases have been reported in the United Kingdom of procedures that gave rise to complications and deaths.
O Traditional BBL, or gluteoplastyconsists of applying it to the gluteal region of fat extracted from other areas of the bodyand is known as the procedure with highest death rate between plastic surgeries.
According to , the procedure is popularly known in several countries as the “Brazilian butt lift”, something like “Brazilian butt lift“, in literal translation, in reference to the “most curvaceous Brazilian anatomy”. The pioneer of its creation was Ivo Pitanguya famous Brazilian plastic surgeon, now deceased.
In August last year, the British government proposed, among a series of measures to curb abuses in the area of cosmetic procedures that have caused concern in the country, restrictions to limit the performance of BBL “non-surgical” only to qualified professionals.
The new report from the Women and Equality Commission states that the Executive “not acting quickly enough” in implementing a licensing system for non-surgical aesthetic procedures and “should accelerate regulatory actions“.
“During our investigation, we heard remarkable and shocking testimony from a woman who developed sepsis after undergoing a liquid BBL,” said Sarah Owenchairman of the commission. “The experience of this woman and many other people should serve as an urgent warning to the government about the need for changes”, he added.
Complete nightmare
At the beginning of 2024, the British Sasha Dean fell into a coma after undergoing the procedure, carried out in part in a private residence,— and developing a generalized infection.
“Everything turned into a real nightmare very quickly,” he told the BBC. “I had a heart attack, one of my lungs collapsedmy kidneys were failing. My body just collapsed.”
After five days in a medically induced coma, Dean recovered and survived, but claims the experience left him physical sequelae. “They were the most horrible two years of my life. I lost all my hairI have cognitive and vision problems. It’s a constant battle. It ruined my life.”
Dean is now warning other women about the dangers of the procedure. “As it is not surgery, people still think it’s safe. But, for me, it is the most dangerous procedure there is. Honestly, I wish it were banned.”
Under government plans, high-risk interventions can only be carried out by regulated healthcare professionals, and services will be inspected by the Care Quality Commission.
Low-risk proceduressuch as botox and lip fillers, would be subject to municipal licensing systems.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said the government is already taking action to crack down on “aspiring beauty professionals” and eradicate dangerous treatmentswithout however establishing a date for the implementation of these measures.
A recent study by University College London concluded that there are currently more than 5,500 clinics offering non-surgical aesthetic treatments in the United Kingdom, with only 1/3 of professionals who provide services inside are mqualified doctors.
The Commission’s report states that there is no consistency in training standards and that some professionals they only attend online training courses before offering treatments.
