Michael Saul reports on a legal crisis facing the unregulated cosmetic industry
- Highlights a ‘Wild West’ industry of unregulated practitioners often with little training, inadequate insurance and in temporary premises providing risky treatments.
The cosmetic surgery industry has expanded fast, resulting in a booming industry with an inadequate legal and regulatory framework. As a legal practitioner with extensive experience in the aesthetic industry, I understand all too well the complications that can arise from non-surgical cosmetic surgery cases and the potential difficulty involved in seeking redress.
In the UK, procedures such as lip filler, fat-dissolving injections and skin boosters can legally be performed by unlicensed practitioners anywhere from hotel rooms to garden sheds, leading to a host of health risks for patients. In 2024 alone, more than 3,000 patients reported complications or unwanted outcomes from cosmetic procedures, according to the charity Save Face, which runs a government-approved register of practitioners.
There are currently huge delays in implementing regulatory reform. The Health and Care Act 2022 was set to create a mandatory licensing scheme, improve safety standards and place restrictions
