The story of 33-year-old Alice Webb - mother of five, who lost her life in September after a cosmetic procedure, shook the public in Great Britain.
The young woman underwent a "Brazilian butt lift", also known as a "Brazilian facelift". After injecting the liquid, complications occur and she dies.
On this occasion, the British television ITV published its investigation, which sheds light on the cosmetics industry in Great Britain and beauty salons posing as clinics.
Industry for millions
The promise of a flawless appearance often hides great dangers, writes ZDF in a summary of the British television publication.
An ITV reporter signs up for a one-day hidden camera liposuction course. The price of the training is about 1800 euros. After only half an hour of theory, the participants are allowed to try the suction device on a patient.
The instructing beautician openly admits that injuries occur to clients on a regular basis: "If we damage the nerves on one side, then we are very careful on the other side. So far, with our students, we have twice damaged nerves and once an artery," he admits to the hidden camera.
Multiple injuries caused by amateurs
Professor Ian Whittaker, a specialist in plastic surgery, is shocked that amateurs carry out such procedures: "I find it disgusting. I have been a doctor for 22 years and I never thought I would see anything like this in my life. An invasive surgical procedure performed by a beautician."
Keelah-Anne Griffiths is also a victim. "I felt a hot metal rod penetrate my skin. I screamed in pain." When he looks away, he sees another patient's blood on the wall. After the liposuction, Griffiths had to visit the hospital because her bladder was damaged.
According to ITV from 2021. so far, there have been almost 1,200 911 calls for procedures performed by companies that contain the words "beauty" or "aesthetics" in his name. The reasons: chest pain, immediate danger to life or severe trauma. Over the past five years, British authorities have received almost 700 complaints.
Authorities are expected to take action
Save Face is an organization of doctors who offer non-surgical cosmetic procedures in the UK. Save Face Director Ashton Collins defines the "Brazilian facelift" as "a crisis about to grow". "They are advertised on social media as "risk-free" and "cheaper" alternatives to surgical operations, and that couldn't be further from the truth," she adds.
To the BBC, Collins tells that they have helped more than 500 women who suffered during similar procedures. She also explains that while facial fillers are relatively safe because of the small amount of substance injected, procedures such as the "Brazilian butt lift" are very dangerous.
One major problem: the strict rules for such interventions apply only to doctors. Non-medical professionals are not subject to such supervision. "I find it absolutely intolerable that there are companies that offer dangerous plastic surgery and put patients' lives at risk. We are working on it. We know we need to take immediate action," said Health Minister Wes Streeting.
"Alice's Law"
"I think more can be done to speed up the process. It remains to be seen whether they really take it seriously enough,' says the partner of the late Alice Webb. He is campaigning for a new law called "Alice's Law". The law should only allow registered plastic surgeons to perform plastic surgery.
Whether and when the law will change is not yet entirely clear. Meanwhile, beauty salons continue to perform surgical procedures and possibly endanger the lives of their patients, ZDF summarizes.
Margarita Nikolova editor