Unregulated beauty short courses set to rise post Covid-19

Consumers and beauty therapists are being warned about the dangers of unregulated short courses being offered to those wanting to gain qualifications in the beauty industry. 

Research, undertaken in July 2021 by industry bodies the British Association of Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology (Babtac), the British Beauty Council, the National Hair and Beauty Federation (NHBF) and the UK Spa Association, found that 39% of freelance beauty therapists had taken part in unregulated short courses to obtain their training.

The rapid courses being offered to budding beauty therapists often promise instant certification, allowing trainees to begin offering their services immediately, despite the lack of formal or comprehensive training.

Improper training can cause issues for therapists, who may struggle to obtain insurance for their services, as well as posing a risk to those undergoing the treatments, especially with more invasive treatments such as skin rejuvenation and laser.

Babtac said the combination of high levels of female unemployment, redundancies in the beauty sector and the appeal of self-employment could factor into a rise in the number of unregulated short courses being offered.

“Short beauty training course (are) more attractive than ever before.” explained Babtac chief executive and chair Lesley Blair. “As a result, we're predicting a real surge in some, potentially very dangerous, short courses over coming months.”

In an effort to help those wanting to enter the industry find accredited beauty courses, Babtac has launched the Find Beauty Training website. 

The website serves as a directory for Babtac-accredited short courses across the UK, so those searching for training courses can filter out those without proper accreditation, to find available courses by category and city. 

The directory can also be accessed by consumers, so they can ensure that the course their therapist has undertaken, and their qualifications, are reputable before booking in for a treatment. 

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