Non-surgical beauty treatment industry criticised for its ‘Wild West’ regulatory standards

Posted: 26/07/2021

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing has completed a year-long review into the non-surgical beauty treatment industry. The review has highlighted a number of inadequacies within this sector and particularly the complete lack of regulation of non-surgical beauty treatments such as botox-style injections and dermal fillers.

A series of recommendations has been put forward by the APPG including mandatory training for all practitioners, requiring practitioners to hold regulated qualifications for the treatments they provide, setting up a national licensing system to ensure premises meet specific hygiene requirements and ensuring all practitioners hold adequate and robust insurance cover.

Varisha Gorasia, an associate in the clinical negligence team at Penningtons Manches Cooper, said: “The non-surgical beauty treatment industry is booming but it is frightening to think that individuals can provide treatments such as fillers and botox-style injections without any qualifications whatsoever or appropriate training.

“These are still invasive beauty procedures and, if they are not carried out appropriately, can put patients at risk of serious complications, leaving them with life-changing injuries including permanent disfigurement. The APPG’s review is certainly to be welcomed and we would hope that the recommendations that have been set out can be implemented urgently to make this industry safer.”

A copy of the report is available here.

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