Unqualified individuals performing high-risk cosmetic procedures on the high street are operating within a dangerous “criminal underground,” with patients often threatened with violence if they raise concerns, experts have warned.
The secretive manner in which these procedures are conducted leaves many patients too frightened to speak out, according to industry specialists.
Members of Parliament recently learnt about the alarming reality of women undergoing surgery to remove excess skin from their eyelids in private homes, sometimes having to tape their eyes shut to sleep due to complications.
READ MORE: Serious Crash on A38 at Quedgeley Causes Extensive Delays Near M5
READ MORE: Owner of Historic Cotswolds Home ‘Devastated’ Following Fire
Ashton Collins, co-founder of Save Face-the register for safe medical aesthetic practitioners-addressed the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) on Wednesday amid the committee’s inquiry into the health impacts of cosmetic surgeries. The inquiry also called for a ban on liquid Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBLs).
Ms Collins highlighted the success of Save Face’s campaign, Alice’s Law, which seeks to ensure BBLs are restricted to qualified surgeons. The campaign is named after Alice Webb, a 33-year-old mother of five who tragically died following a liquid BBL performed in a salon in Gloucester in 2024.
Despite the urgency, the government has yet to publish a consultation on restricting the highest-risk procedures or respond to the WEC’s report, which was originally expected in April.
Ms Collins, who has appeared before the committee previously, emphasised the increasing dangers. When asked if consumers are safer compared to a year ago, she stated, “Unfortunately, those risks have escalated to levels few would have imagined. Laypeople are now performing plastic surgery involving scalpels and significant anaesthetics in people’s living rooms and low-standard high street salons. Procedures such as facelifts, blepharoplasties, intimate surgeries, and liposuction are being carried out without any accountability.”
She described this covert operation as akin to a “criminal underground,” driven by extensive advertising on social media. Patients often pay in advance but are only informed of the treatment location on the day, escorted discreetly to a property, and led with limited visibility, contributing to feelings of fear and isolation.
Many patients report feeling “terrified,” likening their experience to being in a witness protection programme. Ms Collins added that practitioners can be aggressive and have threatened physical violence to discourage patients from speaking out after poor outcomes.
Nora Nugent, a cosmetic surgeon and president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, told the committee that plastic surgery is sometimes performed in private homes and beauty salons by practitioners of uncertain qualifications, making it difficult to trace them.
To date, Save Face has assisted over 1,200 women with complications related to liquid BBLs or liquid breast augmentation. Over half developed sepsis requiring hospital admission, and around 40% needed extensive corrective surgery or ongoing nursing care.
Ms Collins stressed the profound impact these complications have on patients’ lives. Recently, there have been cases of women who underwent eyelid surgery in domestic settings and now struggle to close their eyes, having to tape them shut to sleep-a permanent and distressing consequence.
Both Ms Collins and Ms Nugent described the situation as reminiscent of a horror film, with many individuals living with life-changing complications that require prolonged treatment and rehabilitation, severely affecting their ability to work and quality of life.
Ms Collins also reported that complaints regarding BBLs received by Save Face have decreased from an average of six to nine per week in late 2023 to 2025, down to around six per month. However, she cautioned that practitioners are increasingly pushing boundaries by performing surgeries involving scalpels, further escalating the risks associated with these procedures.
She insisted that urgent action is needed to address and regulate these dangerous practices before they worsen further.