Regulations for non-surgical aesthetic and cosmetic treatments

This briefing provides an overview of the regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England.

There is no specific definition or comprehensive list of these procedures. However, they are widely understood to be non-invasive treatments that are delivered without requiring a cut to the skin, or using sugical instruments. Examples of non-surgical cosmetic procedures include botulinum toxin (‘Botox’) injections, dermal fillers, chemical peels and laser hair removal.

There are no specific controls on who can offer non-surgical cosmetic procedures, although cosmetic dentistry is clearly restricted to registered dental professionals.

Concerns about the safety of non-surgical cosmetic procedures

There has been long-standing and established concern about the risk of harm members of the public face when undertaking cosmetic procedures.

A number of investigations and reports have been carried out into regulation in the cosmetic procedure sector, including:

• The Review of the Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions (the Keogh Review, 2013), commissioned by the then Secretary of State for Health Andrew Lansley
• Health Education England’s review of qualification requirements for non-surgical cosmetic procedures (2013-2015), commissioned by the then Department of Health
• The Nuffield Council on Bioethics report, Cosmetic procedures: ethical issues (2017)
• The Health and Social Care Committee report, The Impact of body image on mental and physical health (2020)
• The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing, Concluding report: Inquiry into advanced aesthetic non-surgical cosmetic treatments (PDF), 2021

All recommended that the government take steps to introduce further regulation in the sector, and particularly around introducing minimum education and training requirements, as well as centralised registration, for practitioners.

In recent years, there have been many reports of people having suffered harm caused by ‘botched’ procedures, and these have been linked to concerns about lack of regulation.

Regulation of practitioners and procedures

There is no specific requirement for practitioners to undertake education or training before delivering non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

Practitioners can choose to adhere to voluntary regulatory mechanisms.For example, they can join voluntary registers maintained by the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP) and Save Face, which require registrants to meet training, education, clinical and professional conduct standards. Practitioners can also choose to meet practitioner education and training standards recommended by Health Education England.

If practitioners are also regulated healthcare professionals, they will generally be required to ensure that their cosmetic practice is in accordance with any clinical guidance or professional standards set by their professional regulators. Regulators can take action against healthcare professionals, even if their cosmetic practice is outside the scope of their normal work.

A new cosmetic licensing scheme for England

Section 180 of the Health and Care Act 2022 enables the UK Government to establish a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures for England and Wales.

Between September and October 2023, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) held a consultation on the design of the new scheme.

The government published its response to the consultation in August 2025, where it set out details of its proposals on how the new scheme would be implemented.

The government proposed placing cosmetic procedures in red, amber or green categories according to the level of risk associated with them:

• Green procedures, considered low risk, could be carried out by any licensed practitioner who meets agreed standards.
• Amber procedures, posing medium risk, could be performed by non-healthcare practitioners only under the oversight of a named regulated healthcare professional, while qualified healthcare professionals could carry them out independently if they meet the required standards.
• Red procedures, judged to carry the highest risk, would be limited to suitably qualified and regulated healthcare professionals and fall under Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulation, meaning they could only be delivered in CQC-registered premises.

The licensing scheme for green and amber procedures would be administered by local authorities.

In its response to the consultation, the government set out an intention to proceed, and to prioritise its work on regulating high-risk procedures (such as those aimed at augmenting the breast, buttocks and genitals with dermal fillers).

The government has also set out an intention to restrict procedures being delivered to under-18s, except with medical oversight.

Wider regulatory considerations for practitioners and businesses

Employers and the self-employed are subject to a range of duties under health and safety law. These broad duties aim to ensure that employers and the self-employed take measures to reduce the risk of harm members of the public are exposed to as a result of the business activity.

Health and safety law is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive, and local authorities, depending on the nature of the business activity and the premises in which they are carried out.

Routes of redress for members of the public if things go wrong

In the event that a member of the public is unsatisfied with a procedure, and particularly if they wish to express concerns about the impact of the procedure on their health or wellbeing, they may consider raising concerns with:

• The practitioner, or their employer.
• A voluntary register, if the practitioner is a registrant.
• A professional health or care regulator, if the practitioner is a registered healthcare professional.
• The Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS) if the practitioner has subscribed to the scheme.
• The Cosmetic Redress Scheme (CRS), if the practitioner has subscribed to the scheme. The CRS only considers complaints regarding consumer law, or poor or unsatisfactory service.
• The Health and Safety Executive, or the local authority, if there are concerns that the practitioner or employer has not met their obligations under health and safety law.

None of these routes of redress are a substitute for professional medical advice. Members of the public should always seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional if they are concerned about their health or wellbeing.