Regulation
Beauty and aesthetic treatment regulation in Scotland
Scotland is ahead of the rest of the UK. The Non-surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Bill received Royal Assent on 12 May 2026, after being introduced on 8 October 2025. Its provisions are expected to come into force in September 2027 — so today, most procedures remain unlicensed in Scotland too.
Last reviewed · How we research and check this
What the Act does
Part 1 of the Act restricts procedures that pierce or penetrate the skin and which fall outside existing healthcare regulation — dermal fillers and chemical peels are the examples given. It prohibits providing those procedures to people under 18, and restricts where they can be delivered to facilities meeting specified standards.
The Scottish Government's stated reasoning is that these procedures may cause children and young people physical or psychological harm, and so should be provided to adults only.
Two schemes, not one
Higher-risk procedures are handled by the Act. Lower-risk procedures are being handled separately, through a licensing scheme made under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, administered by local councils. The intention is that the requirements stay proportionate to risk rather than applying the full weight of the Act to everything.
Independent clinics in Scotland are separately regulated by Healthcare Improvement Scotland, which is a different route again and predates all of this.
Timing, and what it means now
Royal Assent is not commencement. The provisions are expected to be in force from September 2027, which leaves a long window in which the practical position for someone booking a treatment in Scotland is much the same as in England: check the practitioner yourself, because no licence yet proves anything.
Common questions
Has Scotland actually passed a law on cosmetic procedures?
Yes. The Non-surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Bill was introduced on 8 October 2025 and received Royal Assent on 12 May 2026. That makes Scotland the first UK nation with primary legislation specifically covering non-surgical cosmetic procedures. Its provisions are expected to commence in September 2027.
Is Scotland's law the same as England's proposed scheme?
No. They are separate systems with different structures. Scotland legislated through its own Act plus a lower-risk licensing order under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. England is still at the consultation stage under section 180 of the Health and Care Act 2022. A practitioner's obligations depend on which nation they work in.
Can under-18s get fillers in Scotland?
Once the Act's provisions commence, no — it prohibits providing the covered skin-piercing procedures to under-18s. Note that England's separate under-18 ban on botulinum toxin and fillers has been in force since October 2021.
Who regulates clinics in Scotland right now?
Healthcare Improvement Scotland regulates independent healthcare clinics. That is a separate route from the new Act and does not cover every beauty business.
Related guides
Find someone you can actually check
Every listing on this site shows what has been checked and when — or says plainly that it has not been. You contact the therapist directly and pay them directly; we take no commission.