Scams & scandals: The botox black market (30 September 2025)

Summary

An undercover investigation exposes Britain's "Botox Wild West" - where cash comes first and safety comes last. BBC journalists, posing as beauticians, reveal a world where trusted medical professionals go rogue and rules are broken for financial gain. A nurse sells prescriptions via direct messages, a pharmacist uses dangerous shortcuts and a fake doctor is exposed selling illegal toxins from a car boot. Patients, who have fallen victim to similar practices, reveal their ongoing suffering and life-threatening experiences. On the botox black market, trust is betrayed, and profit is placed above safety.