On 6 August 2025, the Government issued a press release on its plans for regulations relating to ‘cowboy cosmetic procedures’, which leave people injured and in need of NHS care.
The planned crackdown follows a series of incidents where people have had high-risk treatments from those with little or no medical training, usually in someone’s home, hotel, pop-up clinic. Treatments have led to dangerous complications, permanent scarring, and even death. These new rules will protect people from unqualified, rogue operators and reduce the cost to the NHS of fixing botched procedures.
The CEO of Armoni Health and Beauty, Diane Hey, said:
“This long-awaited action is a critical step in protecting the public from the dangers of unregulated and unsafe non-surgical cosmetic procedures. For too long, poorly trained individuals completing short courses have been able to carry out high-risk procedures with little accountability. These new measures will help safeguard the public, uphold professional standards, and reinforce the importance of regulated, high-quality education and training within the sector.”
What’s changing?
The Department of Health and Social Care has announced robust new measures aimed at curbing the rise of unregulated and unsafe cosmetic procedures. Key reforms include:
- Only suitably qualified healthcare professionals will be able to deliver high-risk procedures, such as Brazilian butt lifts. These must be done by a specialised healthcare worker, who must be registered with the Care Quality Commission;
- Children are to be protected from dangerous beauty trends on social media;
- Lower-risk cosmetic treatments, such as botox, lip filler, and facial dermal fillers, will also receive stricter oversight through a local-authority licensing scheme. Practitioners will be required to meet rigorous safety, training, and insurance standards before they can legally operate. Once regulations are introduced, practitioners who break the rules on the highest-risk procedures will be subject to CQC enforcement and financial penalties;
- Under-18s wanting high-risk cosmetic procedures will need authorisation from a healthcare professional.
Higher-risk procedures will receive priority under regulations; the aim is for a public consultation to be published in early 2026. In the meantime, the Government urges anyone considering a cosmetic procedure to check their provider’s qualifications and insurance, and to avoid treatments that appear suspiciously cheap.
Why it matters
Director of Save Face, Ashton Collins, says:
“We have been campaigning tirelessly for nearly 2 years for this critical change and have supported over 750 women who have endured traumatic experiences. I have seen first hand the devastating impact these procedures can have on the lives of victims and their families – none more so than the family of Alice Webb.”
The new measures will also be instrumental in saving the NHS money by reducing the need for remedial work following failed procedures.
How can we help?
Holly-Louise Batey is a Paralegal in our Personal Injury team, which is ranked in Tier One by the independently research publication, The Legal 500.
If you have any questions in relation to the topics discussed in this article, please contact Holly or another member of the team in Derby, Leicester, or Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online form.
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