Advertising regulator bans liquid BBLs ads that ‘irresponsibly pressured women into booking’

Advertising Standards Authority bans six adverts over breaches of its rules following investigations

Liquid BBLs, which can legally be carried out by untrained individuals in the UK, involves injecting hyaluronic acid to change the shape of the buttocks or breasts (PA Wire)

The advertising regulator has banned a number of adverts for bum lifts that “irresponsibly pressured” women into booking the cosmetic procedure.

After launching six investigations towards the end of last year, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has now ruled that all six of the ads for liquid Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBLs) “irresponsibly pressured consumers into booking, trivialised the risks of liquid BBLs, or exploited women’s insecurities surrounding body image”.

The ASA banned the ads over breaches of its rules, ordering the six companies to not advertise the cosmetic surgery similarly in the future.

It warned advertisers it will take immediate action against rule breakers and emphasised its expectation that they “exercise a high level of caution when promoting procedures that carry significant risks and currently lack formal regulation”.

The regulator also raised broader concerns over the “irresponsible” advertising of liquid BBLs in general, with Wednesday’s rulings forming part of a wider crackdown.

Alice Webb died following a non-surgical liquid BBL procedure at a UK clinic (PA Media)

In October, it launched a targeted sweep of UK-based advertisers of cosmetic surgery and non-surgical cosmetic interventions via its Active Ad Monitoring system, which uses AI to comb through online ads.

Some businesses were found to not be following the advertising rules, triggering the six investigations into ads by Beautyjenics Ltd, Bomb Doll Aesthetics, CCskinlondondubai, EME Aesthetics & Beauty Academy Ltd t/a eme_aesthetics, NKD Medical Ltd t/a Dr Dacu London, and Rejuvenate Academy Ltd t/a Rejuvenate Clinic & Academy. The Independent has approached all six companies for comment.

The adverts investigated by the ASA were all paid-for ads on social media.

Among them was a paid-for Facebook ad for CCskinlondondubai, a cosmetic treatment provider, seen in November 2024.

It featured an image of a gift-wrapped present and text that stated “SALE BLACK FRIDAY BBL. HIP DIP. BREAST”, alongside a list of procedures and their prices, with the word “sale” superimposed in the background several times, while text in the caption stated: “Get the curves and contours you’ve always wanted with our safe and effective body filler treatments. Feel confident every step of the way! Safe, proven, and beautifully natural results. Expertly qualified team.”

The regulator found the time-limited offer “created a sense of undue urgency to book” and “had not been prepared in a socially responsible manner”. It also ruled that the caption “exploited women’s insecurities around body image and linked confidence to cosmetic procedures” and “detracted from the seriousness of the decision to undertake a cosmetic intervention”, which “trivialised the risks of the surgery”.

The other ads similary came under fire for short-term offers and deals, false claims surrounding the safety and risks of the procedure, and problematic content about women’s bodies.

Liquid BBLs, which can legally be carried out by untrained individuals in the UK, involves injecting hyaluronic acid to change the shape of the buttocks or breasts.

Last year, The Independent reported that hundreds of women have been rushed to hospital after getting botched bum lifts and breast enlargements from unregulated practitioners – with one woman, Alice Webb, even dying following the procedure in a UK clinic in September.

Describing how the ASA “is generally concerned about the irresponsible advertising of liquid BBLs”, it said: “Choosing to undergo a cosmetic procedure is a serious decision, so ads that trivialise this, exploit insecurities, or pressure consumers can cause real harm. 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.

“We expect advertisers to exercise a high level of caution when promoting procedures that carry significant risks and currently lack formal regulation, and 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.”

NKD Medical Ltd t/a Dr Duc told the ASA they “always encouraged consumers to make informed decisions without pressure”.They said that the claim “safe and effective” accurately represented their services and that they aimed to ensure they did not trivialise the potential risks involved in their treatments.

EME Aesthetics & Beauty Academy Ltd t/a EME Aesthetics told the regulator that “all their clients were given a full consultation and were under no obligation to book any procedures. They, therefore, rejected the ruling that their ad had pressured consumers and trivialised the risks of cosmetic procedures.

Rejuvenate Academy Ltd t/a Rejuvenate Clinics told the ASA they had not realised their ad might have been in breach of the regulator’s rules and would ensure future ads are compliant. They said they would now remove all references to time-limited offers, and state in ads that the surgery was carried out by a medical professional with ultrasound to minimise risks and enhance safety.