London Woman's Injury Sparks Beauty Treatment Concerns
A mother of three from Morden, London, claims a beauty facial left her in severe, life-altering pain, raising concerns about the regulation of the local beauty industry. Laura Turner, 44, reported the pain was so extreme she contemplated suicide. The incident has prompted calls for greater oversight and safety standards for cosmetic procedures.
- The UK's non-surgical cosmetic industry is largely unregulated, meaning practitioners are not legally required to have specific qualifications for treatments like chemical peels or laser hair removal. - In response to safety concerns, the UK government is introducing a new licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England under the Health and Care Act 2022. - The proposed system will categorize treatments by risk: 'green' for low-risk procedures available to all licensed practitioners, 'amber' for medium-risk procedures requiring non-healthcare professionals to have oversight from a regulated healthcare professional, and 'red' for high-risk treatments restricted to qualified healthcare professionals. - This new licensing scheme will be administered by local authorities, which will be responsible for granting licenses to practitioners and premises that meet set standards for training, hygiene, and insurance. - Industry bodies like the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP) have been advocating for stricter regulation and the implementation of a national register of approved qualifications and training providers. - A 2023 government consultation on the new licensing scheme drew almost 12,000 responses, indicating significant public and professional interest in establishing higher safety standards. - High-risk procedures, such as thread lifting and deeper chemical peels, will be regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and restricted to qualified and regulated healthcare professionals only. - Voluntary registers, such as those maintained by the JCCP and Save Face, currently exist to help consumers identify practitioners who meet certain standards for training and professional conduct.
