Botched Brazilian butt lift surgery victim welcomes ban on dodgy BBL and cosmetic ads

A mum who nearly died after having a Brazilian butt lift in the UK has welcomed a ban on adverts putting pressure on women to have the - but warns “more must be done before someone else dies”.

Six providers of liquid BBLs have been censored for 'trivialising’ the risks involved. The and paid-for adverts, many plugging deals, were accused of “exploiting” women’s insecurities about their bodies and putting pressure on them to have the high risk surgery.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it was trying to protect the “vulnerable” from the “unregulated high risk procedure". It said companies have been told they must remove the offending ads in a “clear message that we won't hesitate to take action if they break the rules”.

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

, 27, and long term campaigners, Save Face, both welcomed the news, but each insisted more needed to be done to protect the public.

Mum Bonnie-Louise said she was pleased and “emotional” about the action taken by ASA which was “massive”. She's been backing The ’s campaign against cowboy cosmetic companies and wants to see BBLs only performed by GMC registered specialist surgeons.

And Ashton Collins from Save Face told The Mirror why BBLs were so dangerous: “We have supported over 750 women who underwent liquid BBLs; over 55% suffered from , and more than 40% required corrective surgery."

Bonnie-Louise, from Swanage in Dorset, was one of those who nearly died after having the £3,000 operation she saw on Instagram. “I feel quite emotional about this because I had the surgery after seeing it on an Instagram advertisement, 100%. I was watching them post for months and months before I booked. It’s all about advertising. If they hadn’t been advertising it, I wouldn’t have seen it and wouldn’t have booked it. “

She said a lot of companies advertise that it’s doctors who carry these procedures when “in fact it’s people with no medical background that have paid a day course”. About the banning of these adverts, she said: “This is massive and has brought me such joy because it is this exact procedure that I nearly lost my life to just over a year ago now.

“If I had not seen any advertisement I’d never have booked in the first place. This is definitely a big step in the right direction and I’m very proud to have been a part of the I can only hope that in the near future we can see tougher rules and proper regulation and I’d even be hopeful that this procedure as such should only be carried out by a GMC registered surgeons.”

BBLs can involve injecting filler into the buttocks and doctors have raised serious concerns over the 'disgraceful' lack of regulation. Tragically last September, mum-of-five Alice Webb, 33, from Gloucestershire died after suffering complications following a BBL. Two people were later arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it took action after AI was used to investigate Facebook and Instagram ads for cosmetic providers. It found Beautyjenics, Bomb Doll Aesthetics, Ccskinlondondubai, EME Aesthetics, Dr Ducu, and Rejuvenate Clinics, “irresponsibly pressured consumers into booking the treatments”.

The paid-for Facebook ad for Beautyjenics, seen in October, read: “Bringing our liquid BBL to the North … … Limited space available 14th-16th October … Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity to get that perfect peachy look!”

The watchdog said: “Undertaking cosmetic surgery should have been portrayed as a decision that required time and thought from consumers before proceeding, because of the risks involved.”

It added: “We considered that consumers could have been rushed into making a decision to have cosmetic surgery without taking sufficient time to consider the consequences…”

The ASA further found that the ad risked exploiting women’s insecurities around body image, concluding that it was irresponsible.

Bomb Doll Aesthetics, Ccskinlondondubai, EME Aesthetics, Dr Ducu and Rejuvenate Clinics offered time-limited Black Friday deals, which the ASA said pressured consumers into booking the procedures.

“However, so much more needs to be done to ensure that the public are properly protected. Since 2023, we have been campaigning for the government to ban these procedures from the high street, warning that a lack of swift action would lead to fatalities.

“Tragically, our fears came true in September 2024 when Alice Webb, a 33-year-old mother of five, lost her life following a liquid BBL performed by an unqualified practitioner.

“These procedures are marketed online as risk-free, painless, and inexpensive alternatives to surgery, but these claims are dangerously misleading.

“All the complaints we have received are about treatments carried out by people with no medical experience, who often use unlicensed products and perform the procedures in unsterile settings. These are high risk medical interventions that should only be performed by surgeons.

“We have supported over 750 women who have had liquid BBLs; over 55% suffered from sepsis, and more than 40% required corrective surgery. All these women believed they were opting for a minor beauty treatment, not something that would inflict such severe physical and psychological harm.

“A staggering 98% of those we’ve supported found their practitioners via social media. Much more needs to be done to police and prevent the organic posts that also trivialise these procedures and pressurise people into booking them by using discounts and time limited offers.

“We are working with Alice’s family to support them and to ensure no other family has to endure the loss of a beloved family member.

“These procedures are marketed online as risk-free, painless, and inexpensive alternatives to surgery, but these claims are dangerously misleading."

She said of the 750 women who have had liquid BBLs, they’ve supported “a staggering 98% of those we’ve supported found their practitioners via social media".

Beautyjenics, Bomb Doll Aesthetics and Ccskinlondondubai did not respond to the ASA’s inquiries.

Rejuvenate Clinics said it has reviewed ASA guidance and will remove all references to time-limited offers and state in ads that the surgery is carried out by a medical professional with ultrasound to minimise risks and enhance safety.

EME Aesthetics said all its clients are given a full consultation and are under no obligation to book any procedures, and it therefore considers that its ad had not pressured consumers or trivialised the risks of cosmetic procedures.

Dr Ducu said it will ensure it follows the ASA’s rules and guidance, that the time-limited Black Friday offer was intended to provide consumers with an opportunity to access the company’s services at a discounted rate, and it always encourages consumers to make informed decisions without pressure.

The ASA said: “In each case, we found that the ads irresponsibly pressured consumers into booking, and trivialised the risks of liquid BBLs or exploited women’s insecurities surrounding body image.”

Ashton Collins from Save Face, campaigners who have been fighting for two years to get BBLs banned from the High Street. “I am pleased to see the ASA acting against the irresponsible advertising of liquid BBLs.

Jessica Tye, Regulatory Projects Manager at the ASA, said: “One of our key commitments is to protect vulnerable audiences, which is why we’re undertaking proactive work in this area…

“We're particularly concerned about these type of ads for liquid BBLs, given the procedure is currently unregulated and is known to be high risk…today’s rulings send a clear message that we won't hesitate to take action if they break the rules.

“We plan to continue this work through follow-up monitoring and compliance action to make sure the cosmetic surgery and non-surgical cosmetic interventions industries are advertising responsibly."

has been calling for change with our demands backed in a massive poll.

Brits overwhelmingly supported our calls for change with around 83% of voters think cosmetic surgery should only be carried out by properly trained surgeons who are on the General Medical Council specialist register.