Niamh Shackleton
People are calling for Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBL) to be banned in the UK in the wake of a worrying new report by the Women and Equalities Committee.
BBLs have becoming increasingly more popular in recent years and an estimated 400,000 people had the procedure done in 2021, says the Centre for Surgery, which marked a 17 percent rise compared to four years earlier.
The surgery involves taking fat from other parts of the body, such as the stomach, and injecting this fat into the buttocks to increase the size of it.
Stars like Iggy Azalea, SZA, and Saweetie are reported to have had a BBL. Alternatively some celebrities have had a butt implants, one being Cardi B. She recently revealed that she plans on having some of the implants removed, however.
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These kind of procedures don't come cheap, with the average BBL costing anywhere between $6,000 to more than $15,000 in the US. Meanwhile, in the UK, the cosmetic surgery costs between £3,000 and £8,000, says the NHS.
As BBLs are so costly, some people are having backstreet surgeries by unqualified individuals in places like Airbnbs, hotels, garden sheds, and even public toilets.
A report by the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) states: "Currently, there is no regulation as to who can perform non-surgical cosmetic procedures. These are defined as procedures that do not require incisions and are commonly used to refer to injectables, such a Botox or dermal fillers, laser therapy or chemical peels.
"This has led to a ‘wild west’ in which procedures have reportedly taken place in Airbnbs, hotel rooms, garden sheds and public toilets, leading to many individuals experiencing serious harm."
The WEC is now calling on the British government to create a licensing system for lower-risk procedures that means only qualified individuals can perform these procedures.
Elsewhere, the damning report adds: "High-harm procedures such as the liquid Brazilian butt lift (BBL), which has resulted in fatalities, should be banned immediately without further consultation."
One person to have died is 33-year-old Alice Webb. She died in 2024 at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital following complications from a BBL.
Echoing similar sentiments about wanting to ban the BBLs, WEC chairwoman, Sarah Owen, has said in a statement: "Procedures that are deemed high risk such as liquid BBLs and liquid breast augmentations, which have already been shown to pose a serious threat to patient safety, should be banned immediately. There is no need for further consultation and delay.
"A licensing system for non-surgical cosmetic procedures should be introduced within this Parliament."
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