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.
- Anaesthetic (topical)
- A numbing cream or gel applied to the skin to reduce pain during a procedure.
- Anaphylaxis
- A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction needing immediate emergency treatment.
- Aseptic non-touch technique
- A careful method of working that avoids touching key parts and sites so that germs are not introduced during a procedure.
- Basic life support (BLS)
- Emergency first-aid skills, such as chest compressions and rescue breaths, used to keep someone alive until help arrives.
- Blood-borne virus (BBV)
- An infection such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV that can be passed on through blood.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- CE marking / UKCA marking
- Marks placed on a product to show it meets the safety standards required to be sold in Europe (CE) or in Great Britain (UKCA).
- Collagen induction therapy
- Another name for microneedling: making tiny controlled punctures in the skin to prompt it to repair itself and produce more collagen.
- Contraindication
- A condition or circumstance that makes a particular treatment unsuitable or unsafe for that person.
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)
- The law for safely managing chemicals and other hazardous substances at work.
- Cosmetic Practice Standards Authority (CPSA)
- The body that sets clinical standards for non-surgical cosmetic treatments in the United Kingdom.
- Decontamination
- The combined process of cleaning, disinfecting and, where needed, sterilising equipment so it is safe to reuse.
- Dermis
- The deeper layer of the skin that lies beneath the surface and contains collagen, blood vessels and nerves.
- Duty of candour
- The legal duty to be open and honest with a person and their family when something goes wrong with their care.
- Epidermis
- The thin outermost layer of the skin.
- Fitzpatrick skin type
- A scale from I to VI that classifies skin by how much pigment it has and how it reacts to sunlight, used to plan safe treatment.
- Fundamental standards
- The minimum standards of safety and quality below which care must never fall.
- Health and Care Act 2022
- A United Kingdom law that, among other things, gives the power to set up a licensing scheme for cosmetic procedures in England.
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
- The main law placing a general duty on employers to protect the health and safety of staff and others affected by their work.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations setting out the fundamental standards that providers of regulated care must meet.
- Hepatitis B / hepatitis C
- Viral infections of the liver that can be passed on through contact with infected blood.
- Herpes simplex virus (HSV)
- The common virus that causes cold sores around the mouth and can flare up after skin treatment.
- HIV
- A virus, passed on through blood and certain body fluids, that attacks the immune system.
- Hyperpigmentation / hypopigmentation
- Patches of skin that become darker (hyper-) or lighter (hypo-) than the surrounding skin, sometimes after treatment.
- Infection prevention and control (IPC)
- The measures used to stop infection spreading between patients, staff and visitors.
- Informed consent
- Agreement to treatment given freely after the risks, benefits and alternatives have been clearly explained.
- Instructions for use (IFU)
- The written guidance a manufacturer supplies with a device, setting out how to use it safely and correctly.
- Isotretinoin
- A strong oral medicine for severe acne that thins and sensitises the skin, so recent use can make some treatments unsafe.
- Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP)
- The voluntary register and standards body for practitioners providing non-surgical cosmetic treatments in the United Kingdom.
- Keloid
- A raised, overgrown scar that extends beyond the original wound, more likely in people prone to it.
- Lidocaine / tetracaine
- Local anaesthetic medicines commonly used in numbing creams applied to the skin.
- Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982
- A law under which local authorities outside London register premises and practitioners that carry out skin piercing.
- London Local Authorities Act 1991
- The equivalent law to the 1982 Act under which skin-piercing premises and practitioners are registered within London.
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
- The law requiring employers to assess workplace risks and put suitable controls in place.
- Medical Devices Regulations 2002
- The United Kingdom law governing the safety, marking and monitoring of medical devices such as microneedling pens and cartridges.
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
- The United Kingdom body that regulates medicines and medical devices and monitors their safety.
- Methaemoglobinaemia
- A blood disorder, occasionally triggered by some anaesthetics, in which the blood carries less oxygen than normal.
- Microneedling
- A treatment that uses fine needles to make tiny controlled punctures in the skin to prompt repair and renewal.
- Near miss
- An event that could have caused harm but did not, by chance or because it was caught in time.
- 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.
- Occlusion
- Covering a treated area, for example with a dressing or film, which can increase how much of a product the skin absorbs.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Items such as gloves, aprons and masks worn to protect against harm or infection.
- Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)
- Medicine started soon after possible exposure to an infection, such as HIV, to reduce the chance of catching it.
- Prescription-only medicine (POM)
- A medicine that may lawfully be supplied only on the instruction of an appropriate prescriber.
- 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 control measures have been put in place.
- 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 manufacturer's document describing a chemical's hazards and how to handle, store and dispose of it safely.
- Sharps
- Needles, blades and other items that can cut or puncture the skin.
- Sharps bin
- A rigid, sealable container for the safe disposal of used needles and other sharps.
- 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 piercing
- Any procedure that breaks the skin with a needle or similar instrument, a category that includes microneedling for registration purposes.
- Sun protection factor (SPF)
- A measure of how well a sunscreen protects the skin from the sun's burning ultraviolet rays.
- Vasovagal syncope
- A common, brief faint caused by a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure, often triggered by pain or anxiety.
- Venous thromboembolism (VTE)
- A blood clot that forms in a vein, which can be serious if it travels to the lungs.
- Yellow Card scheme
- The United Kingdom system for reporting suspected problems with medicines or medical devices to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.