Crackdown on unsafe cosmetic procedures to protect the public
New measures to crack down on cowboy cosmetic procedures will be introduced by the government.
- Only suitably qualified healthcare professionals will be able to deliver high-risk procedures such as Brazilian butt lifts
- Clinics administering fillers and Botox will need to meet strict standards to obtain a licence
- Kids to be protected from dangerous beauty trends on social media through plans for new age restrictions on treatments
- Robust measures will protect people and save the NHS time and money fixing botched procedures
Tough new measures to crack down on cowboy cosmetic procedures that have left people maimed, injured and in need of urgent NHS care will be introduced by the government.
Only qualified healthcare professionals will be able to perform the highest-risk procedures - such as non-surgical Brazilian butt lifts.
These must be done by specialised healthcare workers working in providers that are registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The planned crackdown follows a series of incidents where people have had high-risk treatments from people with little or no medical training, leading to dangerous complications, permanent scarring and even death. These new rules will protect people from unqualified, rogue operators and reduce the cost to the NHS of fixing botched procedures.
The new measures follow growing alarm over unqualified individuals performing invasive treatments in unsafe environments - including homes, hotels and pop-up clinics. Many of these procedures are marketed as non-surgical but, in reality, are invasive and carry serious risks.
Minister of State for Health, Karin Smyth, said:
The cosmetics industry has been plagued by a Wild West of dodgy practitioners and procedures. There are countless horror stories of cosmetic cowboys causing serious, catastrophic damage.
This government is taking action to protect those seeking treatments, support honest and competent practitioners, and root out the cowboys as part of our Plan for Change.
This isn’t about stopping anyone from getting treatments - it’s about preventing rogue operators from exploiting people at the expense of their safety and keeping people safe. We’re giving them peace of mind and reducing the cost to the NHS of fixing botched procedures.
Other lower-risk cosmetic treatments - including Botox, lip fillers and facial dermal fillers - will also come under stricter oversight through a new local authority licensing system. Practitioners will be required to meet rigorous safety, training, and insurance standards before they can legally operate. Once regulations are introduced, practitioners who break the rules on the highest-risk procedures will be subject to CQC enforcement and financial penalties.
The government also plans to bring in restrictions for under 18s on high-risk cosmetic procedures, unless authorised by a healthcare professional.
Through our Plan for Change the government is determined to bolster patient safety. These changes will ensure consumers can be confident the treatment they receive is safe and of a high standard. It will also provide business with better protections, enabling reputable and safe providers to be easily identifiable to patients.
Priority will be given to introducing regulations to restrict the highest-risk procedures first - such as fillers injected into breasts and genitals. A public consultation will be published early next year. This will seek views on the range of procedures which should be covered in the new restrictions.
While the measures are being developed, the government urges anyone considering a cosmetic procedure to check their provider’s qualifications and insurance, and to avoid treatments that appear suspiciously cheap.
Millie Kendall OBE, Chief Executive Officer at the British Beauty Council, said:
The British Beauty Council has worked tirelessly in pushing for increased regulation of the aesthetics sector since its inception. I therefore fully welcome the government’s announcement that it is pushing forward with legislation.
Any measures that increase protection for the general public and professionalise the industry will help instil confidence as well as helping to prevent the normalisation of horror stories that have become synonymous with our sector.
We will work closely with relevant government stakeholders to ensure these measures are implemented in a way that ensures the sustained, and safe, growth of our sector. This is the first step forward in raising the reputation of our £30.4 billion industry.
Background information
The new regulations will be subject to public consultation and Parliamentary scrutiny before they are introduced.
The government will also work closely with stakeholders to develop further proposals for consultation on introducing the licensing regime for lower-risk procedures to seek views on education, training standards, qualifications, infection control and insurance.
The government’s commitment follows a consultation on the licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures launched in September 2023, which received almost 12,000 responses. This was the first consultation on proposals for strengthening regulation in this space. The government will run further consultations, as there are many issues to consider in designing the regulation which were not within the remit of this initial consultation. Read the full response to the licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures consultation.
The new measures will also be instrumental in saving the NHS money by reducing the work following failed procedures, helping deliver value for the taxpayer.
The measures come as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), local authorities and the NHS continue to investigate after a number of people had adverse reactions following cosmetic procedures involving botulinum toxin. This is another reminder for the public to ensure they are receiving products licensed for use in England and only administered by practitioners sufficiently trained. The NHS website has information about choosing who will do your cosmetic procedure.
Additional quotes
Ashton Collins, Director, Save Face, said:
I am delighted that the government has recognised the significant and potentially fatal risks posed by highly dangerous procedures like liquid Brazilian butt lifts, and has made it a priority to implement restrictions to protect public safety.
We have been campaigning tirelessly for nearly 2 years for this critical change and have supported over 750 women who have endured traumatic experiences. I have seen first hand the devastating impact these procedures can have on the lives of victims and their families - none more so than the family of Alice Webb.
We look forward to continuing to work closely with the government and key stakeholders throughout the next stages of this process, to build a safer landscape for the public and promote high standards across the industry.
Professor David Sines CBE PhD, Executive Chair and Registrar at the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP), said:
The Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners warmly welcomes the UK government’s decision to introduce legislation to regulate and license cosmetic procedures according to the risks they present. Their ‘Plan for Change’ signals a commitment in the strongest terms and it accords with JCCP’s widely publicised call for statutory regulation.
The introduction of standards to ensure that patients are safeguarded and protected from harm, ensuring that all cosmetic practitioners are regulated and licensed to a new national education and training standard, that they are appropriately insured and that they work from safe premises at all times has become imperative. These proposals have our full support and we welcome the opportunity to engage in further consultation.
Diane Hey, Chief Executive Officer of Armonia Health and Beauty, Beauty Professional Trailblazer Apprenticeship steering group chair and Beauty Industry Group Licensing Task and Finish group chair, said:
This long-awaited action is a critical step in protecting the public from the dangers of unregulated and unsafe non-surgical cosmetic procedures. For too long, poorly trained individuals completing short courses have been able to carry out high-risk procedures with little accountability. These new measures will help safeguard the public, uphold professional standards, and reinforce the importance of regulated, high-quality education and training within the sector.
They will provide protection and recognition for reputable, safe practitioners who have spent years developing their knowledge and skills, while also clearly signposting those wishing to enter the sector towards trusted, regulated education pathways.
We look forward to supporting the development of the licensing regime and shaping the wider scope of procedures included, based on proportionate risk. This is crucial for restoring public trust and ensuring only competent, qualified practitioners deliver these procedures, in recognised premises.
Mark Elliott, President of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, said:
We welcome the introduction of improved regulation and a new scheme of licensing. We look forward to continuing to work with the government in order to achieve a licensing scheme that includes the full range of procedures that were to be covered by the scheme in the original consultation.