Bonnie-Louise Cooper, who feared her son would be orphaned when she almost died following a liquid BBL, is relieved there is to be a crackdown on cosmetic cowboys – and hopes they will be tough
A mum who came within an hour of death has welcomed the news of a major crackdown on cosmetic cowboys.
In a victory for the Mirror’s cosmetic surgery campaign, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said ministers will set out new regulations to deal with misconduct in the UK.
Survivor Bonnie-Louise Cooper, 28, said she backed The Mirror’s campaign to stop other mums suffering, fearing lives could be lost – and revealed she still suffers pins and needles almost two years after her ill-fated surgery.
Bonnie-Louise said she thought she was being sensible when she opted not to jet off to Turkey and have the cosmetic procedure in England instead. But she spent weeks in hospital because she suffered a deadly sepsis infection following a liquid BBL. The mum said she was left fearing she would leave her five-year-old son an orphan.
Speaking to The Mirror about the minister’s promise changes will be announced, she said: “This sounds really promising, at last something is happening, it’s been slow steps but this sounds like it could be really big progress. We’ve had botox regulations brought in, we’re had the liquid BBL not being allowed to be advertised on social media – so hopefully this will be the biggest yet. But I’m hoping what he announces this week will be much tougher regulations.”
Bonnie from Swanage in Dorset still suffers the aftermath of the £3,000 cosmetic surgery she had in November 2023 after seeing the adverts on Instagram. I’m still having complications now but I’m alive. I’m having physio once a week still, I have nerve damage and they don’t know when it will repair itself.
“I get pins and needles and my feet go numb, it’s really annoying. It’s a horrible feeling. It could be forever, we just don’t know. I can’t believe it still. They should rush it in, a lady has died now.”
About why she backed the campaign, she said: “I spoke out for awareness, awareness is everything. The Mirror has helped me spread awareness to get the dangers out there. Had I read a story like this before I booked mine, I wouldn’t have done it.”
Campaigner Ashton Collins from Save Face, who has been calling for change for two years, said she believes there are still at least 12 liquid BBLs being carried out by non healthcare professionals every day in the UK.
“It is still alarming, it is a peak and trough scenario, when it’s in the media it dips but then goes back up again. A conservative estimate would be there’s still around 11 or 12 liquid BBLs in the UK every day predominantly performed by non healthcare professionals. “ She said she is “amazed” other people have not died. “How is this allowed to happen? It’s ludicrous.”
Appearing on ITV’s This Morning, on Tuesday, Mr Streeting said: “Because of the lack of regulation, we’ve basically got cosmetic cowboys that basically – I’m not even going to use the word ‘treating’ women – they are practising on women and causing serious, catastrophic damage.
“So, we are going to act and in the coming days and weeks, we are going to be setting out the regulations we’re going to put in place to clamp down on this sort of practice here at home.”
Pressed for more details on the timing of the announcement, Mr Streeting said: “Over the next week or so, you should hear from the government on what we’re doing to clamp down on cosmetic cowboys here at home.
“When it comes to overseas, it is more complicated but I am working with the team across government, and also other governments around the world, to try and clamp down on this.”
During the interview, Mr Streeting was played a tragic clip of Dane Knight, whose partner Alice Webb, 33, last year became the first person to die following a liquid Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) in a UK clinic.
“I would hate to see another family go through, you know, more kids burying their mum, another partner, burying their partner,” Dane said.
Mr Streeting said: “Just hearing Dane speaking there, and the thought of five children being left behind because they’ve lost their mother in these circumstances, that motivates me to act.
“And I hope that for people watching as well, it’s just really the worst possible reminder, when you’re seeing things being marketed online, just think really carefully before you take up things that look too good to be true.”