This Is the Single Most Important Step to Take Before Any Injectable Treatment in 2026

Last year’s botulism outbreak, linked to unlicensed practitioners injecting ‘fake Botox’, was alarming—but it wasn’t an anomaly. Over the last decade, the UK has endured a steady stream of complications tied to unregulated aesthetic treatments, from lumpy fillers and chemical burns to vascular occlusion and, in the most extreme cases, deaths.

As another year of “glow up” culture gathers pace, one truth cuts through the noise: cosmetic injectable treatments like Botox aren’t off-the-cuff beauty appointments; they're medical procedures. And the systems designed to protect patients are still lagging behind demand.

Towards the end of 2025, the government finally proposed a licensing scheme for non-surgical aesthetic procedures, following a large public consultation and years of lobbying from medical professionals and the beauty industry alike. “The proposed licensing scheme represents maybe the most significant step forward in the regulation of the UK aesthetics industry to date,” says Dr Sophie Shotter, an award-winning aesthetic doctor and president of the British College of Aesthetic Medicine (BCAM). “It aims to address long-standing safety concerns arising from the largely unregulated nature of the sector.”

The plans include a traffic-light system, categorising treatments by risk. The highest-risk “red” procedures would be limited to regulated healthcare professionals working in Care Quality Commission–registered premises. In theory, this should reduce the most serious complications linked to invasive treatments carried out by underqualified practitioners. It’s meaningful progress—but it’s not a finished solution, by any means.

“The biggest limitation is that much of the detail still needs to be defined: it is not yet clear precisely which procedures will fall into each category or what constitutes an acceptable level of supervision for non-medical practitioners,” says Dr Shotter. “Without clear, enforceable definitions, these ambiguities risk undermining the scheme’s credibility.”

Oversight is another concern. “Licensing practitioners is one thing; maintaining regular oversight of clinics, hygiene standards, and infection control across thousands of premises is another,” she adds. The proposals also fall short when it comes to complaints procedures, sanctions and product safety—a particularly problematic omission in an era where counterfeit injectables can be sourced with a few clicks. In other words, while aesthetic regulation is coming, it isn’t here yet—and when it does arrive, it won’t eliminate risk overnight.

For now, the burden of safety still sits squarely with the consumer. And that’s a pretty tall order in a digital landscape where misinformation travels fast, social media flattens nuance, and aesthetics are increasingly sold as casual, consequence-free beauty tweaks.

It’s this gap between demand and protection that led the BCAM to launch its “Vet It Before You Get It” campaign. The aim is simple: give people a way to ask better questions before they commit to treatment.

At its centre is the BCAM Pre-Consultation Safety Questionnaire, a six-step checklist designed to be completed before you book. It covers practitioner qualifications, insurance, premises standards and product sourcing, and can be printed or sent to a clinic ahead of time.

“The checklist clearly functions as a stopgap measure to bridge the regulatory void that currently exists,” explains Dr Shotter. “By encouraging people to check their practitioner’s qualifications, insurance, premises standards, and product sourcing before undergoing any procedure, the campaign provides a practical safety net for consumers navigating an inconsistent marketplace.”

It isn’t perfect—it isn’t regulation, but it’s one of the clearest and most accessible tools we’ve got. So if you do one thing before booking an injectable in 2026, make it this: slow down, ask questions, and vet properly. Your face is not the place to cut corners.