A self-proclaimed "beauty consultant", with clients such as Katie Price, has been found to provide risky cosmetic procedures and illegally distribute medication, according to a BBC investigation.
Ricky Sawyer focuses on liquid Brazilian butt-lifts (BBLs), involving injecting dermal filler into the buttocks for a lifted and enlarged appearance.
BBC News interviewed five of Sawyer's clients who required emergency medical care post-procedure. More than 30 women reported severe complications like sepsis and tissue death.
One woman described feeling that she would "rather have died" than endure the pain post-treatment.
Multiple local authorities have prohibited Sawyer from practicing in their jurisdictions.
Undercover footage shows Sawyer unlawfully providing antibiotics without a valid prescription and suggesting increasing doses of local anesthetic without proper authorization, putting individuals at risk of a potential overdose.
In a sting operation posing as clients, Mr. Sawyer offered to inject a liter of filler into each buttock, disregarding safety protocols and advising on excessive quantities to be injected.
Plastic surgeon Dalvi Humzah critiqued Sawyer's actions as "shocking," "dangerous," and exposing patients to significant infection risks and life-threatening consequences.
The filler commonly used in BBLs, hyaluronic acid, poses serious complications like blood clots and sepsis due to the large volumes required, making liquid BBLs among the riskiest cosmetic procedures.
Despite numerous complaints about Sawyer, legal loopholes in non-surgical treatments allow him to continue without effective regulation, prompting calls for stricter laws to limit such procedures to qualified surgeons.
Reports indicate that authorities have issued prohibition notices in some areas to prevent Sawyer from causing further harm, yet the lack of stringent regulations permits him to move operations to different regions unchecked.
The Department of Health and Social Care condemned the unlawful dispensing of medication and expressed urgency in exploring stricter regulatory measures to address such malpractice.
Efforts to confront Sawyer directly were met with evasive responses and attempts to avoid accountability for the serious injuries inflicted on individuals seeking cosmetic enhancement.
As Ashton Collins from Save Face emphasizes, attitudes toward unregulated cosmetic practices must shift to acknowledge the gravity of risks posed to individuals seeking such procedures, advocating for stricter regulation to protect public health.