Italy cracks down on illegal aesthetic clinics amid widespread abuse

The Carabinieri Health Command carried out 777 inspections in 2026, uncovering a network of unlicensed aesthetic procedures across the country. Fake doctors promoted on TikTok, expired or non‑compliant drugs, and venues such as apartments, hair salons and bed‑and‑breakfasts turned into makeshift clinics were found in cities including Cosenza, Naples, Palermo, Treviso, Cremona, Catania, Afragola, Rome, Crotone, Pescara, Capua and Bari. Law‑enforcement seized 1,400 vials of botulinum toxin at Rome’s Fiumicino airport in the “Dorian Gray” operation and confiscated expired products worth €150,000 in Bari. The Italian Federation of Aesthetic Medicine (FIME) warns patients to verify qualifications and avoid relying on social‑media promotions. According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery’s 2024 global survey, Italy performed about 1.37 million aesthetic procedures in 2024, ranking fourth worldwide after the United States, Brazil and Japan.