On 6th August 2025, the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) published a holding statement on aesthetics regulation. A follow-up update on 7th August outlined the Government’s plans and confirmed that a public consultation will take place in early 2026.
While not the official announcement many were hoping for, it represents a step forward in the journey toward safer aesthetics legislation. The Government has made it clear that high-risk procedures will be prioritised first.
Key Points from the Announcement
- High-risk procedures, such as Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBL), will only be performed by qualified healthcare professionals.
- Clinics offering anti-wrinkle injections, dermal fillers, and other cosmetic injectables will need to meet strict safety standards to obtain a licence.
- Protecting young people: Measures are planned to prevent minors from undergoing potentially harmful treatments promoted on social media.
- Lower-risk treatments, including anti-wrinkle injections and lip fillers, will come under tighter oversight through a new licensing system for clinics.
- Overall aim: Make it easier for the public to identify practitioners who are properly trained, qualified, and insured.
Why Change Is Necessary?
Trading Standards recently issued a warning about just how serious things have become. Kerry Nicol, from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said she was “genuinely shocked by the scale of potential harm facing the public due to the alarming lack of regulation in the aesthetic industry.”
She’s not alone. Lots of practitioners and medical professionals have been raising concerns for years. The worry is growing — particularly when it comes to teenagers being injected, or treatments being done in hotel rooms, people’s homes and recently in the news ‘public bathrooms’. And sadly, it’s still happening every day.
The scary part? It’s very difficult to tell, just by looking at a social media account, whether someone is qualified. You can’t always rely on flashy Instagram posts or a neat logo.
That’s why it really comes down to patients doing their own due diligence, particularly as the wait for official legislation continues to be prolonged.
What to Look for in a Safe, Qualified Aesthetic Practitioner
The aesthetics industry remains largely unregulated in parts of the UK, meaning that non-medics can still legally offer injectable treatments — even without medical training or complication management knowledge.
To protect yourself, it’s important to ensure that your practitioner is:
- A qualified medical professional — such as a doctor, dentist, nurse or clinical pharmacist
- Fully insured and trained in noticing and managing complications
- Practising from a clinical, hygienic environment
- Taking time for a thorough consultation and offering appropriate aftercare
- Focused on safety, ethics and natural results, not just trends
Medical qualifications matter. A lot.
Your injector should have a medical background — ideally a doctor, nurse, dentist, or clinical pharmacist.
While aesthetic treatments can feel straightforward, they are still medical procedures. And like any medical procedure, they carry risks.
A qualified healthcare professional doesn’t just perform the treatment. They understand facial anatomy in detail, are trained to recognise complications, and know how to manage them safely.
They’ll also take a step back and assess you as a whole — your overall health, facial structure, and whether the treatment you’re considering is appropriate and safe for you.
And they’ll explain the risks properly, well before you’re asked to sign anything. That conversation matters, and you deserve to feel fully informed before going ahead.
Check professional registrations
Beyond asking about qualifications, take a moment to verify them. Medical professionals should be registered with the appropriate body:
- Doctors: General Medical Council (GMC)
- Nurses: Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
- Dentists: General Dental Council (GDC)
- Pharmacists: General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
You can check these registrations online — it takes just a few minutes and gives you peace of mind. A legitimate practitioner will be happy to provide their registration number.
Ask questions — even if they feel awkward
It’s okay to ask. In fact, you should.
Where did they train? What qualifications do they have? What happens if something goes wrong? Do they have proper insurance?
Some of those questions can feel uncomfortable to ask, especially if you’ve built a bit of rapport. But you’re entitled to know. A good practitioner won’t take offence — they’ll welcome the conversation. If someone gets defensive or evasive, that’s a bit of a red flag.
And if they say, “Don’t worry, I’ve done loads of these,” without backing it up… it’s probably worth worrying a little.
Red flags to watch out for
While most practitioners are well-intentioned, there are some warning signs that should make you pause:
- Pressure to book — legitimate practitioners won’t rush you into treatment.
- Reluctance to discuss complications — every medical procedure has risks, and these should be openly discussed.
- Unrealistic promises — be wary of anyone guaranteeing dramatic results or claiming treatments are “completely risk-free”.
- Unusually cheap prices — while cost matters, extremely low prices can indicate corner-cutting on safety or product quality.
- No qualifications listed – if a practitioner doesn’t clearly list their medical qualifications and regulatory body on their website or profile, ask why.
- Edited before-and-after photos – results should be real and unfiltered. Avoid anyone using overly edited or photoshopped images to sell their treatments.
- Poor hygiene standards — if the environment doesn’t look clean and professional, trust your instincts.
Location
If a practitioner is offering treatments at home, in a hotel room, or in a rented beauty room with no clinical equipment, just pause for a moment.
It doesn’t mean they’re unsafe — but the risk is higher. Cleanliness, infection control, sharps disposal… These things really matter, and the setting gives you clues.
If it feels rushed or chaotic, trust your gut.
Clinics should feel calm and professional, even if they’re friendly and relaxed. It’s that balance between comfort and credibility.
The Academy Clinic approach
These principles aren’t just theoretical for us — they’re how we’ve always operated. At The Academy Clinic, all injectable treatments are carried out by medical professionals who prioritise your safety and tailor every treatment to your individual needs.
Every practitioner and trainee are medically trained and registered with the appropriate professional body. We believe that’s the only way to offer treatment safely and ethically.
Our clinical team also trains and mentors medical professionals through our GMC-registered aesthetics training academy, Harley Academy – meaning we’re actively setting the standards for the next generation of practitioners and working to raise the bar across the industry.
What’s Changing in Scotland?
Scotland has introduced new licensing regulations for aesthetic clinics, aiming to improve safety and standards — though non-medics can still practise under certain conditions. It’s a step forward, but highlights the inconsistent regulation across the UK.
We Hope to See Stronger Regulations in England Too
At The Academy Clinic, we’re big advocates for tighter laws around who can offer medical aesthetics treatments. Our business was founded with one goal in mind, to raise the standard of injectable and cosmetic dermatology treatments.
Until wider changes are made, the best thing you can do is stay informed and choose a medically-led clinic you trust.
If you’re unsure where to start, we’re always happy to answer questions or guide you through the consultation process.
For now, education and awareness are our best tools
Until regulation catches up, all we can do is help patients ask better questions. And keep raising the bar ourselves.
Transparency, training, honesty — those things make a difference.
And if the public starts to expect more from the industry, hopefully, the industry will be pushed to do better.
Ready to take the next step? Book an appointment with one of our medical professionals. We’ll take the time to understand your goals, assess what’s right for you, and answer all your questions in a relaxed, professional environment.
