Plastic Surgeons Call for Ban on Breast Fillers Over Cancer and Safety Fears

LONDON, Feb. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Britain's leading plastic surgeons are calling for an immediate ban on synthetic dermal fillers being injected into breasts, warning the procedure carries "unacceptable" risks including infection, disfigurement and the potential masking of breast cancer.

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) says there is "no justification whatsoever" for injecting fillers into breast tissue, describing the trend as high risk with little proven benefit. The call is backed by the British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) and patient safety group Save Face.

Cancer Detection Concerns

Surgeons warn fillers can cause inflammation, infection and hard scar tissue (granulomas), potentially making early breast cancer harder to detect on scans.

Breast cancer affects 1 in 7 women in the UK — more than 44,000 annually. BAAPS says any procedure that could obscure early warning signs is "simply indefensible."

Macrolane, a breast filler product, was withdrawn in 2012 over safety concerns. However, surgeons say similar substances are still being injected, often with limited regulation.

Serious Complications

Reported risks include severe mastitis, abscesses requiring surgery, hard or misshapen lumps, filler migration, chronic pain and interference with breastfeeding. Some women have needed major operations to remove the material.

BAAPS President Nora Nugent stressed that the breast is "a gland with biological function, not just cosmetic tissue," warning infections may cause lasting damage.

Minimal Benefit, Weak Regulation

Often marketed as quick "lunchtime" procedures, fillers are promoted as a non-surgical fix for volume loss or sagging. But BAAPS says results are modest and can appear unnatural over time.

Surgeons are also concerned that fillers can be administered by individuals without surgical training and with no consistent standards for clinics or managing complications.

BAAPS, alongside BAPRAS, the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners and the Royal College of Surgeons of England, has called for tighter controls on high-risk filler procedures, but breast fillers remain largely unrestricted.

Safer alternatives — including fat transfer, implants and breast lift surgery — exist when performed by trained plastic surgeons and offer stronger safety profiles.

"In the presence of safer alternatives, there is simply no place for this practice in the UK," said BAAPS spokesperson Elaine Sassoon. "We are calling for a ban."

For the full press release: https://tinyurl.com/mrxnf9kh.