Regulation
How beauty and aesthetic treatments are regulated in the UK
No licence is currently required to perform most beauty and aesthetic treatments in England — including dermal fillers, microneedling and chemical peels. Section 180 of the Health and Care Act 2022 created the power to change that, and on 7 August 2025 the Government confirmed a three-tier red/amber/green licensing model. A further consultation on the detail is expected during 2026, and nothing is in force yet.
Last reviewed · How we research and check this
The three proposed tiers
| Tier | Risk | What it will require | Named examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | Highest risk | Restricted to regulated healthcare professionals and brought into Care Quality Commission regulation. | Liquid Brazilian butt lift |
| Amber | Medium risk | Local-authority licence plus oversight from a named regulated healthcare professional. | Botulinum toxin, dermal fillers |
| Green | Lower risk | Open to any licensed practitioner meeting the agreed standards. | Microneedling, chemical peels |
Tiers and examples as confirmed in the Government's consultation response of 7 August 2025, tracked in House of Commons Library briefing CBP-10331. The 2023 consultation drew almost 12,000 responses.
What the law says today
Section 180 of the Health and Care Act 2022 allows the Secretary of State to require a personal licence to carry out specified cosmetic procedures in England, and a premises licence for the place they happen, both administered by local authorities. The definition covers injections, substances applied so as to penetrate the skin, needle insertion, threads placed under the skin, and applications of light, electricity, cold or heat. Surgical and dental procedures are excluded.
Two things are already law and often confused with the licensing scheme. Botulinum toxin is a prescription-only medicine, so a prescriber must assess you face to face before it is supplied. And since 1 October 2021 it has been a criminal offence in England to administer botulinum toxin or cosmetic fillers to someone under 18 for cosmetic purposes, or to arrange that appointment for them.
The four nations are not the same
Almost every summary of this subject says “the UK”. That is wrong, and the difference is material: a practitioner's obligations depend entirely on which nation they work in, and so does what you can check before booking.
| Nation | Licensing in force | Position |
|---|---|---|
| England | No | Power exists under section 180 of the Health and Care Act 2022. Tiers confirmed August 2025; further consultation expected 2026. |
| Scotland | Not yet | The Non-surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Bill received Royal Assent on 12 May 2026. Provisions expected in force September 2027. |
| Wales | Yes, partly | Acupuncture, body piercing, electrolysis and tattooing — including semi-permanent make-up — are licensed under Part 4 of the Public Health (Wales) Act 2017. Injectables are not covered. |
| Northern Ireland | No | No scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures, and no equivalent of England's under-18 ban. Councils asked the Health Minister for a scheme in 2022. |
See the dated regulation tracker for what has changed and when, each entry tied to a primary source.
Why this matters when you book
Because no licence exists yet, the practical position is that a person can legally inject dermal filler into your face in England today with no mandated qualification, no mandated insurance and no register to check them against. Voluntary registers exist — the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners and Save Face are the two most cited — but membership is optional.
That gap is the reason this directory records and dates what it checks, and says plainly on each profile when a member has not completed those checks.
Common questions
Do you need a licence to do Botox in the UK?
Not to inject it, as the law stands in England. Botulinum toxin is a prescription-only medicine so a qualified prescriber must assess the patient and prescribe it, but the act of injecting is not separately licensed. The licensing scheme agreed under section 180 of the Health and Care Act 2022 will place injectables in the amber tier, requiring a local-authority licence and oversight by a named regulated healthcare professional. It is not in force yet.
Is microneedling regulated in the UK?
Not currently. Microneedling is named as a green-tier example in the Government's August 2025 consultation response, meaning that once the scheme starts, any licensed practitioner meeting the agreed standards will be able to carry it out. Until then no licence is required.
When will the cosmetic licensing scheme start?
No date has been set. The Government published its consultation response on 7 August 2025 and a further consultation on the detail — training standards, hygiene, insurance requirements and fees — is expected during 2026. Regulations will then need parliamentary approval.
Who regulates beauty treatments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
The licensing scheme under section 180 of the Health and Care Act 2022 applies to England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own rules and are at different stages, so a practitioner's obligations differ depending on where they work.
What qualification should a beauty therapist have?
There is no legal minimum for most treatments. In practice insurers set the floor: Level 3 beauty therapy is the common baseline for treatments that penetrate the skin, with Level 4 expected for advanced work such as microneedling and medium-depth peels. Asking who insures a practitioner is an indirect way of asking what they are qualified to do.