In September 2023, the government announced it would launch a consultation into unregulated cosmetic procedures. Insights gathered from the consultation could inform a new licensing scheme that introduces restrictions on who can perform certain high-risk procedures. It may also impose age limits for those undergoing cosmetic procedures.
But what does this actually mean for cosmetic practitioners? Let’s dive in.
Practitioners will have to join a new licensing scheme
The Department of Health and Social Care plans to use consultation insights from concerned industry professionals and victims of ‘botched’ procedures to create a new licensing scheme for practitioners and cosmetic businesses operating in the UK.
The licensing scheme is designed to protect the public from ‘botched’ non-surgical cosmetic procedures, such as Botox and fillers. The government notes that “although the majority of the aesthetics industry shows good practice when it comes to patient safety, this step will ensure consistent standards and protect individuals from those without licences”.
The scheme will make it a criminal offence to carry out non-surgical cosmetic treatments without a licence. It also seeks to ensure that practitioners who administer cosmetic procedures are properly trained and have the necessary insurance cover to practise. While many practitioners are insured in one way or another, the scheme will require them to have a comprehensive policy with full treatment liability cover as standard.
New rules for high-risk procedures
The scheme will also crack down on ‘high-risk’ non-surgical procedures, such as Botox and dermal fillers. The government has stated that it will likely introduce ‘restrictions’ for high-risk practitioners, ensuring all procedures are carried out by those who are trained and licensed and have had their “premises inspected”.
In response to the alarming rise of unqualified practitioners performing cosmetic procedures, stricter regulations are likely to reshape how high-risk procedures are conducted.
Age limits for those undergoing cosmetic procedures
In 2021, cosmetic Botox and lip fillers were banned in England for those under the age of 18. This followed reports that 41,000 Botox-style procedures were carried out on under-18s in the previous year.
However, young people are still able to access several other potentially harmful cosmetic procedures such as chemical peels and microdermabrasion. This scheme intends to build upon the 2021 Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Act and proposes to prohibit practitioners from performing any procedures involving the following treatments on anyone under the age of 18:
- The injection of a substance.
- The application of a substance that is capable of penetrating into or through the epidermis.
- The insertion of needles into the skin
- The placing of threads under the skin.
- The application of light, electricity, cold or heat.
This is a major development for practitioners, many of whom stand to lose business from new age restrictions on popular treatments. However, the licensing requirement is intended to protect children from long-term damage, and for most practitioners, this news will come as a welcome change to an industry that has been unregulated for far too long.
