For years, the British Beauty Council has campaigned for a regulated landscape in aesthetics that prioritises public safety. Last year, the Scottish Government published ‘The Non-surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Bill’, leapfrogging the UK Government in its commitment to tackling the unregulated landscape of invasive non-medical treatments and procedures.

Beyond massage therapy, nail artistry, waxing, and other less intensive beauty treatments, exists a growing offering of new beauty innovation and technology in advanced beauty therapy and aesthetics which has grown at a pace that regulation has not kept up with.

The result has been a landscape in which practitioners can offer services in a variety of settings (clinics, salons, remotely, at home etc.) and with a hugely varying standards of skill and proficiency (university qualification, an Ofqual approved qualification offered by an approved awarding organisation, a certification or qualification offered by independent providers, short 1-2 day online courses). This is why it is often stated that the sector is a ‘wild west’ as it can often be hard for the public to identify good from bad until something goes wrong.

In December, in my role as Chief of Policy at the British Beauty Council, I gave evidence alongside Lesley Blair MBE CEO of the British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology, to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee as part of their inquiry in scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s aesthetics Bill.

During our witness session, we raised concerns that the Bill as drafted currently lacks the necessary detail regarding clinical supervision and robust training standards to truly protect the public. We specifically highlighted that ‘supervision’ must be a clinical function, not just a managerial one, requiring a designated prescriber to be immediately available on-site during high-risk treatments to manage serious complications.

We also expressed deep concern over the current ‘regulatory gap’ for lower-risk procedures and the overly broad list of healthcare professionals permitted to oversee these clinics, which should be narrowed to ensure supervisors have relevant expertise in the specific modalities being delivered. We welcome that these points have been included as part of the recommendations of the Committee and hope that they will be taken forward by the Scottish Government as the Bill continues its passage.

“Scotland has a unique opportunity to lead, but it must not act in isolation. We strongly recommend UK-wide alignment for education and training standards. A practitioner’s competence should be measured by regulated, accredited qualifications,” comments Lesley Blair MBE, CEO of BABTAC.

Ultimately, the Scottish Government’s Bill is about protecting the public from the physical and emotional trauma of “botched” procedures. Only through clear boundaries, mandatory standards, and accountability can we ensure that every person choosing an aesthetic procedure throughout the UK can do so with confidence.

The British Beauty Council, working alongside BABTAC and the wider industry, will continue to push for UK wide regulation of the aesthetics sector.