Editor's comment: why industry regulation needs to be mandatory

Salon clients want industry regulation just as much as beauty professionals do, according to recent research by Babtac, and this 360-degree approach to campaigning for change can only add weight to the argument. 

Indeed, some major initiatives are already underway, including a Government consumer protection campaign focused on aesthetic treatments, a new All-Party Parliamentary Group formed to show that MPs recognise the challenges facing the aesthetics sector and will recommend on policy decision to Government going forward, and a major new report that demonstrates the value of the beauty and hair sector to the UK economy, in a bid to prove a need for regulation.

While such pledges of support for safety are positive, until the relevant standards of training and practice become mandatory, those performing treatments without the underpinning knowledge and skills to do so safely will keep doing that, and many clients will continue to be swayed by the cheaper prices they can afford to charge. In fact, new research from Botox manufacturer Allergan shows that price is still the number-one deciding factor for young people considering aesthetic treatments, with safety much lower down the list. 

Achieving some form of regulation is the ultimate goal of Babtac chair Lesley Blair, and in our Career Path feature in the June issue, we find out what it takes to make it as the head of an organisation pushing for change. 

Safety has also been back in the spotlight for sun care this month, with the launch of a new campaign to make people of colour part of the conversation around the importance of SPF. Find out why in the June issue, where Black Skin Directory founder Dija Ayodele explains why the issue is so important and what therapists can do. 

We also take a closer look at the impact of sun care on the safety of marine life in the June issue, focusing on a new wave of launches that replace some of the ingredients believed to be harmful to coral reefs. 

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