Law banning botulinum toxin and dermal fillers for under 18s comes into force
It is now illegal for beauty businesses in England to give botulinum toxin injections and dermal fillers to under 18s purely for cosmetic reasons as the Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Bill comes into force today (October 1).
The bill prohibits procedures for under 18s in England if they are for aesthetic purposes and not approved by a doctor. The new law warns businesses that they should verify proof of age and that consent from parents or guardians is not a defence.
In cases where a medical need is determined and approved by a doctor, these procedures must only be undertaken by registered health professionals. The Department of Health and Social Care said failure to comply with the law "could result in a criminal prosecution and an unlimited fine".
It is estimated that around 70,000 under 18s received botulinum toxin or cosmetic fillers each year, according to the Department for Health.
Health experts have been calling for the UK Government to ban injectables for under 18s since 2019 in light of TV programmes such as Love Island making fillers popular with teenagers.
Read the full Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Bill here.
Industry reactions:
“Safety and professionalism should be at the heart of everything our industry does, but with so little accountability this just hasn’t been the case when it comes to aesthetics. This new law is a step in the right direction, but we have still more work to do,” said Victoria Brownlie, chief policy officer at The British Beauty Council.
“There are so many dire repercussions due to the lack of regulation in the aesthetics industry. Professionals with reputable, fit-for-purpose qualifications, are having to compete with those with unverified substandard training – or worse still no training at all.
“If we are to salvage and rebuild the sectors reputation in this field, we must better regulate the sector in terms of minimum standards on training and education, adequate insurance and accountability when things go wrong.”
The British College of Aesthetic Medicine (BCAM) president Dr Uliana Gout said: “We fully endorse the Bill and increased regulation in our specialty.”
In July, The All Party Parliamentary Group on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing (APPG BAW) called on the Government to address the absence of regulation over botulinum toxin and fillers with a report which makes 17 recommendations to help plug the regulatory gap.
What do you make of this news? Tell us your thoughts below.