Tighten Up BBL Law Now
2025The Bolton News launched its campaign, Tighten up BBL Law Now, calling for urgent reform to cosmetic surgery rules after a young woman was left minutes from death following a controversial Brazilian butt lift.
The campaign was prompted by the case of 28-year-old hairdresser Louise Moller, who underwent a so-called non-surgical BBL after being influenced by posts on social media. Just four days later, she was rushed to the hospital with sepsis and told she had only minutes to live. Doctors later revealed she had been injected with bubbles and infected by the practitioner, leaving her with permanent injuries. As well as sepsis, the fat injected into the buttocks during Brazilian butt lifts can lead to a pulmonary embolism, a blockage in a blood vessel in the lungs that can be fatal.
Louise’s mother, Janet Taylor, took her daughter’s story to The Bolton News to highlight the dangers of the procedure and to call for urgent change. Janet believes the government is moving too slowly with planned consultations on cosmetic surgery regulation and says more lives will be lost without immediate action.
The government has already announced plans to introduce new restrictions on who can provide high-risk treatments such as BBLs, but changes are not expected to come into force until next year.
The Bolton News is backing Janet’s fight and has launched the campaign to demand immediate enforcement against unregulated providers and tighter controls on social media advertising that glamorises cosmetic procedures while downplaying the risks.
Dr Samantha Walkden, senior lecturer in Criminological and Forensic Psychology at the University of Greater Manchester, told The Bolton News that platforms such as TikTok and Instagram are saturated with posts that glamorise cosmetic procedures while often failing to mention the associated risks. She said: “If you’re already struggling with your self-image, then you’re far more likely to be influenced by this kind of content…
“The solution must go beyond just UK regulation and begin with greater responsibilities from tech companies themselves.”
The campaign is supported by campaign group Save Face, which has reported more than 700 complaints about non-surgical BBLs in the last year alone, many involving life-threatening complications. Experts from the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners and local councils have also raised the alarm, warning that unsafe procedures are being carried out by people with no medical training in salons, homes and even hotel rooms.
Ashton Collins, director of Save Face, said: “Cosmetic procedures, not just liquid BBLs, but all of them are being promoted on social media through organic posts.
“We’ve met with Meta to try and get them to do more, but outside the restrictions they place on paid-for advertising, they’ve shown very little interest in monitoring organic posts.”
The Bolton News is calling on ministers to bring forward new laws to ban non-surgical BBLs being performed by anyone other than GMC-registered surgeons in regulated clinics, and to act immediately to protect the public from further harm.
“The Bolton News has a long history of campaigning for change, and we feel our latest one is vitally important, especially in our beauty-obsessed society. Whilst we support the government’s progress around this issue, we’ve been here before. We need action now, not in a year.
“Janet’s crusade for urgent movement following the trauma her daughter suffered has inspired us to demand change, and we hope the government will listen and act accordingly. As part of the campaign, we are hoping to organise a visit between Janet and Wes Streeting to discuss the campaign and to encourage people to think twice before having cosmetic procedures.
“For those who are determined to have cosmetic procedures, we urge you to do thorough research about the procedures sought and who performs them. Ultimately, this isn’t just about your appearance, it’s about your life.”
Richard Duggan, Newsquest’s regional editor North West and editor of The Bolton News