Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Adverse event
- Any unexpected or unwanted occurrence linked to a treatment that harms, or could harm, a patient.
- Anticoagulant
- A medicine that thins the blood and reduces clotting, which can increase the risk of bruising or bleeding during a procedure.
- Best interests
- A decision made for someone who cannot decide for themselves, choosing the option that is best for them.
- Bio-stimulator
- An injectable product that prompts the skin to make more of its own collagen over time, rather than adding volume directly.
- Biofilm
- A layer of bacteria that can form around an injected filler and cause a stubborn, hard-to-treat infection.
- Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)
- A mental health condition involving a preoccupation with a perceived defect in appearance; a recognised reason not to provide cosmetic treatment.
- Botulinum toxin
- A prescription-only medicine injected to relax muscles and soften lines, commonly known by brand names such as Botox.
- Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Act 2021
- The law that makes it a criminal offence to give botulinum toxin or cosmetic fillers to anyone under 18 for cosmetic reasons in England.
- Caldicott Guardian
- The senior person responsible for protecting the confidentiality of people's health and care information.
- Cancellation period
- The statutory window (normally 14 days) in which a consumer can cancel a contract made online, by phone or away from the clinic.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Chaperone
- A trained person present during an intimate examination to support and protect the patient and the clinician.
- Consumer Rights Act 2015
- The law requiring that services are carried out with reasonable care and skill and that consumers are treated fairly.
- Contraindication
- A specific reason, such as pregnancy or an infection, why a particular treatment should not be given to a patient.
- Controlled drug
- A medicine whose supply, storage and records are tightly restricted by law because of its potential for misuse.
- Cooling-off (reflection) period
- A set period of time between the consultation and the treatment that lets the patient reflect, free of pressure, before deciding to go ahead.
- Cosmetic Practice Standards Authority (CPSA)
- A body that sets clinical standards and competency frameworks for non-surgical cosmetic treatments in the UK.
- Data Protection Act 2018
- The UK law that sits alongside the UK General Data Protection Regulation and governs how personal information is handled.
- Dermal filler
- A gel, usually based on hyaluronic acid, injected to add volume or smooth lines in the skin.
- Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
- A criminal-records check showing whether a person is suitable to work with patients or vulnerable people.
- Duty of candour
- The legal duty to be open and honest with a person and their family when something goes wrong with their care.
- Elective treatment
- A treatment chosen by the patient that is not medically urgent or required.
- General Dental Council (GDC)
- The body that registers and regulates dental professionals in the UK.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The body that registers and regulates doctors in the UK and sets standards for their practice.
- General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- The body that registers and regulates pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Great Britain.
- General practitioner (GP)
- A doctor based in the community who provides general medical care and can refer patients to other services.
- High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)
- An energy-based device that uses focused sound waves to heat and tighten deeper layers of skin.
- Human Medicines Regulations 2012
- The main UK law governing how medicines are prescribed, supplied and administered.
- Hyaluronidase
- An enzyme injected to dissolve a hyaluronic acid dermal filler, used to correct problems or treat a blocked blood vessel.
- Informed consent
- Agreement to treatment given freely after the risks, benefits and alternatives have been clearly explained.
- Intense pulsed light (IPL)
- A device that uses broad-spectrum light to treat skin concerns such as pigmentation or unwanted hair.
- Intravenous (IV)
- Given directly into a vein, for example a vitamin infusion delivered through a cannula.
- Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP)
- A registered charity that holds voluntary registers of cosmetic practitioners and promotes safe practice.
- Material risk
- A risk that a reasonable patient in this person's position would want to know about, or that the practitioner knows this particular patient would care about.
- Mental capacity
- Whether a person can understand and make a particular decision for themselves at the time it needs to be made.
- Mental Capacity Act 2005
- The law that protects and supports people who may be unable to make particular decisions for themselves.
- Microneedling
- A treatment that uses tiny needles to make controlled micro-injuries in the skin to encourage repair and renewal.
- Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board [2015] UKSC 11
- A Supreme Court case that set the legal standard for consent, requiring patients to be told about risks that matter to them personally.
- Necrosis
- The death of skin or tissue, which can happen if a filler blocks the blood supply to an area.
- Nominated Individual
- The senior person responsible to the regulator for supervising how a service is provided.
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
- The body that registers and regulates nurses and midwives in the UK.
- Off-premises / distance contract
- A contract agreed away from the clinic, or entirely online or by phone, which carries extra consumer cancellation rights.
- Patient Group Direction (PGD)
- A written instruction letting named staff supply or give a medicine without an individual prescription.
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
- A treatment using a concentrated part of the patient's own blood, injected to encourage skin or tissue repair.
- Polynucleotide
- An injectable substance, often derived from purified DNA fragments, used to improve skin quality and stimulate repair.
- Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation
- Darkening of the skin that can appear after inflammation or a skin treatment, more common in darker skin tones.
- Prescriber assessment
- An individual assessment by a qualified prescriber, carried out before a prescription-only medicine such as botulinum toxin is prescribed or given.
- Prescription-only medicine (POM)
- A medicine that may lawfully be supplied only on the instruction of an appropriate prescriber.
- Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (PECR)
- The UK rules covering marketing by phone, email and text and the use of cookies and similar technologies.
- Ptosis
- Drooping of the brow or eyelid, which can occur as a side effect of botulinum toxin treatment.
- Radiofrequency (RF)
- An energy-based device that uses radio waves to heat the skin and encourage tightening.
- Registered Manager
- The person registered with the regulator as responsible for the day-to-day running of a service.
- Regulated activity
- A type of care or treatment the law requires a provider to register with the regulator to deliver.
- Retinoid
- A vitamin A-based skincare ingredient or medicine that can affect how the skin reacts to certain treatments.
- Risk assessment
- A structured check identifying what could cause harm and what is being done to prevent it.
- Safeguarding
- Protecting people's health, wellbeing and rights and keeping them safe from abuse, harm or neglect.
- Single assessment framework
- The structure the regulator uses to judge a service, built around quality statements and five key questions (safe, effective, caring, responsive, well-led).
- Skin booster
- An injectable treatment that hydrates and improves the quality of the skin rather than adding shape or volume.
- Statement of Purpose
- A required document describing who a service is, what it does and where, shared with the regulator.
- The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013
- The consumer law that gives a cancellation period and requires set information before contracts made online, by phone or away from business premises.
- Two-stage process
- A pathway that separates the consultation and decision (Stage 1) from confirmation and treatment (Stage 2) by a reflection period.
- UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The UK's main data-protection law governing how personal information is collected and used.
- Valid consent
- Consent that is voluntary, specific and informed, and given by a patient who has the capacity to make that particular decision.
- Vascular occlusion
- A blockage of a blood vessel, a serious complication of filler injection that can cause tissue death or, rarely, blindness.
- Vasovagal reaction
- A sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure, often triggered by an injection, that can cause fainting.