How to check an aesthetics practitioner is actually qualified

Injectable facial aesthetics is one of the least regulated areas of healthcare in the UK. There is no legal requirement for the person holding the needle to be a doctor, a dentist or a nurse. There is no mandatory training standard and no single register you can search to confirm that someone is competent, because for a large number of practitioners there is nothing to be registered on.

The checks below are worth making before you book with anyone.

What the picture looks like

Complications from injectable treatments are not always brief or minor. Some resolve as the product wears off. Others, particularly those involving blood vessel occlusion with dermal fillers, are urgent and can cause lasting damage if they are not recognised and managed quickly. That is the real argument for a qualified injector. Not that qualified people never cause problems, but that they are trained to spot one early and equipped to deal with it.

Three checks worth making before you book

1. Look them up on a register

If someone tells you they are a dentist, doctor, nurse or pharmacist, that is checkable in about a minute and it is free. The General Dental Council, General Medical Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council and General Pharmaceutical Council all publish searchable public registers. Ask for the name they are registered under and their registration number, and search it yourself rather than relying on a certificate on a wall.

If they are not on any register, that is not automatically a scandal, but it does mean no professional body is holding them to a standard and no professional body will act if something goes wrong.

2. Ask who is prescribing, and who is assessing you

Some of these treatments are prescription-only medicines. In the UK that means a qualified prescriber must assess the individual patient and decide the medicine is appropriate for that person before it is prescribed. It is not something that can lawfully be handed out on the basis of a form, a phone call or a group booking.

So ask directly. Who is the prescriber? Will they be assessing me in person? If the answer is vague, or if it turns out a prescriber signs off patients they have never met, walk away.

3. Look at the setting and the paperwork

Ask where treatment takes place, how the premises are cleaned, what happens to sharps, whether there is a written consent process, and whether you will be given aftercare instructions and a number to call. Ask whether the practitioner holds medical indemnity insurance for this specific work, and what it covers.

Questions worth asking out loud

1. What are you qualified as, and which register are you on?
2. Who prescribes, and will they assess me in person?
3. What are the risks specific to me and to this area of my face?
4. What would a complication look like, and what should I do if one happens?
5. If something goes wrong at ten o'clock on a Saturday night, who do I contact, and is there a charge?
6. Is the product licensed for use in the UK, and where is it sourced from?
7. Can I go away and think about it?

A practitioner who is comfortable with these questions will answer them without hesitation. A practitioner who is not is telling you something useful.

Signs worth taking seriously

• Pressure to decide today. Countdowns, limited slots and discounts that expire are sales techniques, and they have no place in a decision about a medicine.
• Nobody asks about your medical history. No questions about medication, pregnancy, breastfeeding, neuromuscular conditions or previous reactions means nobody is assessing your suitability.
• Nobody ever says no. A clinician who accepts every request is not making a clinical judgement. Being turned down, or asked to wait, is a good sign.
• Group bookings and parties. Injectable treatment in a social setting, particularly where alcohol is present, makes proper consent and assessment very difficult.
• No aftercare route. If there is no plan for what happens when something is wrong, there is no plan.

Why registered status makes a practical difference

Someone on a professional register is accountable to a regulator. They have to meet standards of conduct, keep their knowledge up to date, hold indemnity, keep records, and they can be investigated, restricted or removed from the register. If you have a complaint, there is a body that will look at it.

Someone who is not registered has none of that. Your options if things go wrong are civil action or the police, both of which are slow, expensive and unlikely to be where you want to find yourself.

Where we stand

At Sale Dental Spa, facial aesthetics is provided by clinicians registered with the General Dental Council, at the practice, with the same medical history taking, consent process and record keeping as any other treatment we provide. You can look our clinicians up on the GDC register, and we would encourage you to.

UK law does not permit the advertising of prescription-only medicines to the public, so you will not find product names, results, durations or prices for those treatments on this website. What we offer is a consultation, in which a GDC-registered clinician will assess you, talk through what would and would not be suitable, and tell you if the answer is nothing.

We are just as happy for you to take this list to another clinic. The point is that you ask someone.

You can read more about Sale Beauty Spa, our consultation-led aesthetics studio. To arrange a consultation, get in touch or call 0161 969 7464. You can also read about our clinical team.