The NHBF urges salons to get their clients clued up on cosmetic procedures

The NHBF has joined the Department of Health and Social Care and other industry bodies to make sure clients have access to high quality advice before seeking cosmetic procedures such as anti-wrinkle treatments (eg Botox), fillers, lasers and lights, breast augmentation and liposuction. 

The campaign, which uses the hashtag #clueduponcosmeticprocedures, is particularly targeted at women aged 18-35 who are the most likely to be considering these treatments, according to the Department.  The key messages for clients are:

• Choose a reputable, safe and qualified practitioner who is trained in the procedure you are undertaking.
• Speak to a professional about the outcomes you can expect from a cosmetic procedure, signs of complications and procedures for aftercare before you agree to go ahead with the treatment.
• Make sure you have a pre-consultation with the same practitioner that will be performing the procedure and are given information to take away with you.
• Make sure that you know how to obtain after care advice and support if things go wrong.
• Check out the premises - are basic hygiene principles like hand washing and sterile equipment evident?
• Don’t pay for procedures until you have had a consultation to check it is suitable and will meet your expectations.
• Avoid participating in group treatments, or events involving alcohol.
• Don’t be pressured into agreeing to additional treatments you hadn’t considered before arriving at the clinic.
• Take time to consider your treatment options and don’t make hasty decisions to have a treatment until you are sure that it is right for you.  Walk away if you’re not completely comfortable.

The affordability of cosmetic procedures, celebrity endorsement and the influence of social media are driving huge growth in the popularity of aesthetic treatments, fuelling concerns about aggressive marketing techniques, including cut-price deals and primetime advertising on TV and across social media channels.  The potentially serious side-effects such as infection, nerve damage, blood clots and scarring have triggered the campaign which sets out some simple precautions that clients can take before agreeing to such treatments.

Reputable salons will always put the safety of their clients first

Hilary Hall, NHBF chief executive, said: “Reputable salons will always put the safety of their clients first and we’re confident that they will join us in fully supporting the Clued Up On Cosmetic Procedures campaign.  We have already published the full advice note from the Department for Health and Social Care on our website. 

As well as working with the Joint Council for Cosmetic Procedures (JCCP), we’re also working with other beauty industry bodies via the Beauty Aesthetics Special Interest Committee (BASIC) to establish in-depth guidelines and clearly defined standards for training and qualifications for non-medical practitioners.  In the meantime, it is expected that new legislation will take effect in May 2020 which will significantly strengthen the quality assurance and safety of dermal fillers on the UK market. We urge salons to prepare for this change now by working with regulated healthcare professionals (a doctor or nurse) and using clear signposting detailing the level of medical oversight available to allow client to make an informed choice: medic on site, on call medic or remote medic.”

You can review further information on our cosmetic procedures here.