The government has outlined plans for aesthetic procedure regulation in England – here’s what it means for you
If you’ve had a scroll on social media lately, you’ll know that injectable aesthetics, anti-wrinkle injections, filler and skin boosters, have never been more popular. But dive a little deeper and you’ll also see the horror stories: botched and leaking lips, lopsided brows and even hospital admissions. For too long, the UK’s non-surgical aesthetics scene has been a bit of a ‘wild west’, with non-medically trained practitioners offering invasive treatments from their homes, back rooms and, unbelievably, public toilets.
That might be about to change. The UK Government has just announced a new licensing scheme for England following its 2023 consultation, aiming to regulate non-surgical aesthetic procedures. In short, wrinkle-relaxing injections and filler appointments could soon only be carried out in properly accredited clinics by trained medical professionals.
You might assume this is already happening, but these ‘backyard’ injectable appointments have been on the rise and causing havoc for trained professionals and for the NHS.
Dr Ash Soni, plastic and reconstructive surgeon and founder of The Soni Clinic, has seen firsthand the risks of the current lack of rules. “In the last few months, there were 41 cases of botulism from cheap Botox done by a non-medic,” he explains. “We’ve had people hospitalised with sepsis after a botched Brazilian Butt Lift, and even deaths from fillers injected in someone’s garden shed. And yes, there’s even been a report of injectables being done in a public toilet. It’s ridiculous.”
Aside from the personal harm, the NHS is carrying a huge burden. Complications from unregulated treatments- infections, allergic reactions, sepsis- inevitably end up in hospital A&E departments. The problem, Dr Soni says, is that until now, these cases haven’t been logged specifically as injectable-related, making it hard to track the scale of the problem.
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The new rules, while still light on specifics, will likely mean that only doctors, nurses, dentists and only other licensed prescribers can legally carry out these treatments. And for prescription-only products like Botox, that means sourcing through legitimate medical channels, not from “eBay or the back of a lorry”, as Dr Soni describes. “Some of these providers don’t know what they’re injecting, how to dilute it, or what to do if something goes wrong,” he warns.
If you regularly book in for injectables, you might be wondering how this will affect you. In reality, if you’re going to a reputable clinic, not much will change, except that your safety is further protected. The crackdown is aimed at cutting out unsafe operators, the ones who can undercut prices by using untraceable, poor-quality products. So if you’ve been heading to see someone without a proper license for cut-price injectables, it will mean you’ll have to spend a bit more to see an expert, and to ultimately ensure you get the best standard of care.
Though the temptation to save money is hard to resist, especially if you’re struggling with the rising costs of…well, everything, Dr Soni says it’s a false economy: “People end up spending way more to fix bad work. You’re paying for correction and then the treatment all over again. Some of these ‘backyard’ places charge less than I pay for my own products, which should tell you everything about their quality.”
His advice is simple: do your research. Check credentials, look for a clean and professional clinic and remember you’re trusting someone with your face (or body). “If you’re going to do it, do it in the most experienced hands. It’s worth the investment,” he says.
The hope is that the new licensing scheme will end unsafe treatments and give patients peace of mind that when they walk into a clinic, the products, setting and practitioner meet professional standards. After all, no good can really come from Botox in a shed, can it?
*You can find Dr Soni and his team of experts at his Berkshire and London Clinics.