UK Faces Urgent Calls to Ban Deadly Brazilian Butt Lifts After Near-Fatal Case

Calls for an immediate ban on Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs) are growing after a series of dangerous incidents. MPs and campaigners are pushing the government to restrict the procedure, warning that unqualified practitioners are putting lives at risk. The demand follows a near-fatal case involving a young woman and a delayed crackdown on a notorious injector.

Bonnie-Louise Cooper nearly died in November 2023 after receiving a liquid BBL from Rick Sawyer, a practitioner with no healthcare qualifications. The procedure led to a severe sepsis infection and left her with long-term PTSD. Sawyer, known for working with celebrities like Katie Price, was eventually banned from cosmetic surgery for three years—but only after a two-year delay.

Non-surgical BBLs remain legal in the UK despite their well-documented risks. MPs are now urging stricter controls, including a licensing system for all non-surgical cosmetic treatments. The Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) wants high-risk procedures like BBLs limited to qualified health professionals only.

Cooper has since launched a campaign for tougher regulations. While individual cases of harm have been reported to the MHRA, no official UK statistics track deaths or severe complications from non-surgical BBLs over the past five years. Sawyer's case revealed he had injected clients with up to 1,000ml of dermal filler, far beyond safe limits, without any medical training.

The government now faces pressure to act before more lives are endangered. A ban or stricter licensing could prevent unqualified practitioners from performing BBLs. Without official data, campaigners warn that the true scale of harm may still be unknown.