A authorities session has been launched to discover how Botox and different non-surgical beauty remedies might be made safer amid considerations round unscrupulous practitioners.
An estimated 900,000 botulinum toxin injections are carried out within the UK annually, and Save Face – a government-approved register of accredited practitioners – acquired nearly 3,000 complaints in 2022, with greater than two-thirds of these referring to dermal fillers and nearly 1 / 4 referring to Botox.
The session will contemplate age restrictions on sure procedures, in addition to the introduction of a licensing scheme for practitioners and beauty companies working in England.
The ladies’s well being minister, Maria Caulfield, stated: “Whether it’s Botox, dermal fillers or even a chemical peel, we have heard too many stories of people who’ve had bad experiences from getting a cosmetic procedure from someone who is inexperienced or underqualified.”
She stated it was its “role to ensure consistent standards for consumers and a level playing field for businesses and practitioners”.
The session will take views from trade professionals and people who’ve undergone non-surgical beauty procedures, resembling laser hair removing, and dermal fillers, to provide their views on how the trade might be made safer.
In June, the Guardian reported on a rising variety of complaints about non-surgical Brazilian butt lifts and breast enhancements, involving dermal filler or fats being injected into the buttocks so as to add quantity and definition. The identical might be carried out to boost breasts. These high-risk procedures are more likely to be coated within the session.
The director of Save Face, Ashton Collins, stated it was delighted to be invited to contribute to the general public session. “Being involved in the process has enabled Save Face to actively contribute to roundtable discussions with ministers, policymakers and key stakeholders,” she stated.
“This will enable us to help develop a fit-for-purpose scheme that has public safety as its primary focus. We look forward to continuing to work closely with the government and key stakeholders during the next stages of the process.”
Prof David Sines, the chair of the Joint Council for Beauty Practitioners, stated he warmly welcomed the federal government’s choice to seek the advice of on a proposed licensing scheme.
He stated: “It will help to ensure that people who undergo non-surgical cosmetic procedures receive treatment from practitioners who are properly trained and qualified, have the necessary insurance cover and operate from premises that are safe and hygienic.”
The session will run for eight weeks and can shut on 28 October.
It follows the passing of the Well being and Care Act in April 2022, which gave the well being secretary the facility to introduce a licensing regime.
Below the proposed scheme, which will probably be operated by native authorities in England, practitioners will have to be licensed to carry out particular procedures, and the premises from which they function may even have to be licensed.
