Illegal Fat Loss Technique Skyrockets, Alarming Cosmetic Surgeons!

The idea of undergoing cosmetic surgery in someone’s living room is alarming. In a report published in January 2025 on TikTok, the French newspaper Le Parisien investigated these wholly illegal aesthetic medicine practices. Practitioners, who are not licensed doctors and often refer to themselves as “cosmetologists,” are soliciting clients on social media, offering a variety of services from secret makeshift clinics—all at bargain prices. Take, for example, “Lemon Bottle” injections, purported to dissolve fat from the belly, arms, and chin. The first issue is that these operators claim to be trained by surgeons abroad and are not licensed to practice in France. Moreover, the injected product is not approved in France and could cause irreversible damage such as chronic infections, necrosis, or paralysis. Needless to say, the sanitary conditions are also substandard.

So far, this scandal may seem similar to other illegal practices involving injections and underground clinics (recall the “Botox sisters”). However, the situation gets even worse as reported by Le Parisien, with these women also offering liposuctions. This surgical procedure should only be performed in an operating room. To remind, a small section of skin is cut at the belly, chin, or thighs, and fat is suctioned out using a cannula. If the procedure is performed using a liposuction device, which is normally found in accredited surgical clinics (it’s unclear how it ended up in their possession), it remains highly dangerous. “If these imposters make a wrong move with the cannula, they could puncture the trachea!“, explains Dr. Adel Louafi, the general secretary of the national union of plastic surgery, to Le Parisien. Even worse, a local anesthesia is administered to the patient. According to the doctor, “Even local anesthesia itself, if injected into a vessel, can cause a cardiac rhythm disorder and lead to cardiac arrest.” It’s a high risk that some are willing to take for a liposuction costing €1000 or €1500, payable in cash or to a foreign bank account, as noted by Le Parisien.

In France, these practices remain completely illegal and are punishable by law. “If someone is mishandled during a neck liposuction, it could be fatal. There are already criminal complaints filed and under investigation. Our goal is to stop these practices now, as they are beginning“, the professional concludes.