Rogue beauticians face being reined in as ministers eye plan to licence Botox providers 

Beauticians providing Botox or fillers would need a licence under Government plans to protect patients from botched cosmetic procedures.

Sajid Javid has outlined his commitment to make it an offence to perform such non-surgical work without a licence.

The Department of Health said an amendment to the Health and Care Bill, due to be tabled today, would give the Health Secretary the power to introduce a licensing regime for such procedures.

The ‘scope and details’ of the regulations will be ‘determined via extensive engagement including a public consultation’, it added. 

The scheme would aim to bring in consistent standards that practitioners must meet and set out hygiene and safety standards for premises.

Beauticians could soon need a licence to administer Botox and fillers under a proposed amendment of the Health and Care Bill, due to be tabled today

Mr Javid said: ‘While most of those in the aesthetics industry follow good practice when it comes to patient safety, far too many people have been left emotionally and physically scarred after botched cosmetic procedures.’

He added: ‘I am committed to protecting patient safety by making it an offence for someone to perform these cosmetic procedures without a licence.

‘We’re doing all we can to protect patients from potential harm, but I urge anyone considering a cosmetic procedure to take the time to think about the impact on both their physical and mental health and ensure they are using a reputable, safe and qualified practitioner.’

Maria Caulfield, the Minister for Patient Safety, said the spread of images online via social media has led to a rise in demand for Botox and fillers and there had been a subsequent increase in people suffering the consequences of badly-performed procedures.

She added: ‘While these can be administered safely, we are seeing an unacceptable rise in people being left physically and mentally scarred from poorly performed procedures.

‘Today’s amendment is the next step on the road to effective regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England.’

It follows new legislation making it illegal to give such treatments to under-18s, and banning adverts – including social media, influencer advertising and traditional advertising – for cosmetic procedures which target people in that age group.

Details on the public consultation on non-surgical cosmetic procedures are expected to be set out at a later date.

The Royal Society for Public Health has said the rise in video conferencing as a result of working from home had also fuelled demand for Botox and fillers, which it dubbed the ‘Zoom boom’.

But it has warned people’s desire to ‘enhance their appearance on-screen’ is not without risk and ‘bungled procedures’ can cause irreversible damage to a person’s physical appearance and mental health.