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 client.
- Alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA)
- A group of mild acids, such as glycolic and lactic acid, used in lighter chemical peels to exfoliate the surface of the skin.
- Anaphylaxis
- A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction needing immediate emergency treatment.
- As low as is reasonably practicable
- A safety standard meaning risk has been reduced as far as is sensible once the effort and cost of further measures are weighed against the benefit.
- Aseptic non-touch technique
- A careful method of carrying out a procedure that avoids touching the parts that must stay clean, so germs are not introduced.
- Basic Life Support (BLS)
- Emergency first-aid skills, such as chest compressions and rescue breaths, used to keep someone alive until advanced help arrives.
- Beta-hydroxy acid (BHA)
- An oil-soluble acid, mainly salicylic acid, used in peels to clear pores and exfoliate, especially in oily or acne-prone skin.
- Cardiotoxicity
- A harmful effect on the heart, for example an abnormal heart rhythm, which phenol can cause if it is absorbed into the body.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Clinical governance
- The system through which a service monitors and continually improves the quality and safety of the care it provides.
- Contraindication
- A reason why a particular treatment should not be given to a particular person because it would be unsafe.
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)
- The law for safely managing chemicals and other hazardous substances at work.
- Crash trolley
- A wheeled set of emergency equipment and drugs kept ready for treating someone who suddenly becomes seriously unwell.
- Croton oil
- A strong plant-derived oil added to deep phenol peels to increase their strength, which also raises the risk of harm.
- Decanting
- Carefully pouring a chemical from its main container into a smaller one ready for use.
- Decontamination
- The combined process of cleaning, disinfecting and, where needed, sterilising equipment so it is safe to reuse.
- Duty of candour
- The legal duty to be open and honest with a person and their family when something goes wrong with their care.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- A simple test that records the electrical activity of the heart to check it is beating normally.
- Erythema
- Redness of the skin caused by increased blood flow, often a normal short-lived reaction after a peel.
- Fitzpatrick skin type
- A scale from I to VI that classifies skin by how much pigment it has and how it reacts to sun, used to judge the safest peel depth.
- Frosting
- A white appearance on the skin during a peel that shows how deeply the chemical has acted, used by the practitioner as an end-point.
- Fundamental standards
- The minimum standards of safety and quality below which care must never fall.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The body that registers and regulates doctors in the United Kingdom.
- General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- The body that registers and regulates pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Great Britain.
- Glogau classification
- A scale used to grade how much a person's skin has aged, which helps guide treatment choice.
- Hazardous waste
- Waste that is harmful to people or the environment and must be stored, transported and disposed of under strict legal controls.
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
- The main law setting out employers' duties to protect the health and safety of staff and others affected by their work.
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
- The national body responsible for regulating and enforcing workplace health and safety in Great Britain.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations setting out the fundamental standards that providers of regulated care must meet to be registered with the Care Quality Commission.
- Hierarchy of control
- A ranked list of ways to reduce a hazard, starting with removing it and ending with protective equipment as a last resort.
- Human Medicines Regulations 2012
- The main law governing how medicines are licensed, prescribed, supplied and administered in the United Kingdom.
- Hyperpigmentation
- Patches of skin that become darker than the surrounding area, sometimes as a complication of a peel.
- Hypopigmentation
- Patches of skin that become lighter than the surrounding area, sometimes as a complication of a peel.
- Immediate Life Support (ILS)
- A level of emergency training above basic first aid that prepares staff to manage a cardiac arrest until a resuscitation team arrives.
- Infection prevention and control (IPC)
- The measures used to stop infection spreading between clients, staff and visitors.
- Informed consent
- Agreement to treatment given freely after the risks, benefits and alternatives have been clearly explained.
- Intravenous
- Given directly into a vein, for example fluids or drugs delivered through a small tube during a procedure.
- Isotretinoin
- A strong acne medicine that thins the skin and can increase the risk of scarring, so peels are usually avoided for a time after taking it.
- Jessner's solution
- A combined peel solution containing resorcinol, salicylic acid and lactic acid, used for light to medium peels.
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
- The law requiring employers to carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments and act on what they find.
- Medical Devices Regulations 2002
- The law governing the safety, marketing and use of medical devices in the United Kingdom.
- Near miss
- An event that could have caused harm but did not, by chance or because it was caught in time.
- Neutraliser
- A substance used to stop a peel acid from acting once the desired effect is reached, for example a bicarbonate solution.
- Nominated Individual
- The senior person responsible to the regulator for supervising how a service is provided.
- Notifiable event
- An incident a provider is legally required to report to the regulator, such as a death or serious injury.
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
- The body that registers and regulates nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom.
- Ocular
- Relating to the eye.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Items such as gloves, aprons and masks worn to protect against harm or infection.
- Phenol
- A powerful chemical used in the deepest peels that can give strong results but carries a risk of serious harm to the heart, liver and kidneys.
- Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation
- Darkening of the skin that can appear after inflammation or injury, including after a chemical peel.
- Prescription-only medicine (POM)
- A medicine that may lawfully be supplied only on the instruction of an appropriate prescriber.
- Priming
- Preparing the skin with creams or products in the weeks before a peel to improve results and lower the risk of complications.
- Prophylaxis
- Treatment given to prevent a problem before it happens, for example antiviral medicine to stop a cold-sore virus flaring up.
- 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.
- Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR)
- The law requiring certain workplace injuries, diseases and dangerous events to be reported to the Health and Safety Executive.
- Residual risk
- The level of risk that remains after the existing control measures have been put in place.
- Resorcinol
- A chemical used in some peels, such as Jessner's solution, which can cause allergic reactions in sensitive people.
- 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.
- Safety data sheet (SDS)
- A document from a chemical's supplier setting out its hazards and how to handle, store and dispose of it safely.
- 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).
- Suitable and sufficient assessment
- A risk assessment that is detailed and thorough enough for the actual work being done, as the law requires.
- Sun protection factor (SPF)
- A measure of how well a sunscreen protects the skin from the sun's burning ultraviolet rays.
- Systemic toxicity
- Poisoning that affects the whole body, rather than just the area being treated, when a harmful substance is absorbed.
- Trichloroacetic acid (TCA)
- A stronger acid used for medium-depth and deep peels, which needs careful control because of its potency.
- Tyrosinase inhibitor
- A skin product that reduces the formation of pigment, used to lower the risk of dark patches after a peel.