Alice Webb's family approve of new cosmetic laws

The family of a woman who died after having a liquid Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) has said they believe new rules introduced by the government to crackdown on "cosmetic cowboys" will spare other families the same heartbreak they experienced.

Alice Webb, a 33-year-old mother of five, died after having the cosmetic procedure at a salon in Gloucester in 2024.

Under the new rules, treatments that involve injecting fillers anywhere other than the face, such as BBLs, would be legally defined as cosmetic surgical procedures, meaning they can only be performing by qualified medics.

Health minister Karin Smyth said: "We want to drive cosmetic cowboys out of the market and raise standards across the board."

The police investigation into Alice's death was dropped earlier this year after the suspect died.

Surgical BBLs involve inserting silicone-filled implants and/or removing fat from other parts of the body before injecting it into the buttocks.

Non-surgical BBLs - like the one Alice is believed to have had - involve injecting dermal filler into the buttocks.

April Palmer, Alice's sister, told the BBC her family welcomes the Government's announcement of a public consultation on liquid BBLs and other high-risk cosmetic procedures.

"Since Alice's death, we have been working alongside Save Face, who have been leading the campaign for stronger regulation and urgent government action," she said.

"As a family, we are asking for Alice's Law to be implemented and for liquid BBL procedures to be restricted, as a matter of urgency, to appropriately qualified surgeons only.

"We believe this will prevent avoidable harm, provide better protection for people considering cosmetic procedures and spare other families the same heartbreak."

Ministers said that patients who choose to have cosmetic procedures deserve to know they are in safe hands and not risking their lives.

Other high-risk treatments such as deep chemical peels and some laser procedures would also be restricted to some medical professionals.

Those who flout the rules could be hit with unlimited fines or fixed penalties up to £4,000.

"If you're planning to undergo a major cosmetic procedure, you deserve to know you're in safe hands – not risking your life with a rogue operator," Smyth said.

"These changes mean that only properly trained professionals can carry out the most serious, high-risk procedures, and that young people will be shielded from treatments that can go badly wrong."

The government will launch a consultation asking for input from doctors, regulators and businesses to draw up draft regulations.

The blueprint will then go through the parliamentary process, which is currently planned for Spring 2027.

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