Laws & regulations

The rules for aesthetics clinics.

Aesthetics is one of the most closely watched corners of UK healthcare advertising, and the rules reach into your booking flow, not just your wording. These are the ones we build around.

6 specific rules · plus 9 for every clinic · Last reviewed 10 November 2026

How we build for aesthetics clinics

01LawMHRA · ASA

Prescription only medicines advertising

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What it says

Prescription only medicines, including botulinum toxin, cannot be advertised to the public. The ASA treats naming the product, or clearly hinting at it, as advertising.

Your website: Pages built around concerns and consultations, with no product names in page titles, file names, alt text, or hashtags.
Your systems: Booking pages and confirmation messages that never name a prescription only medicine.
How we work: We check titles, file names, alt text, and ads for product names before launch.

02GuidanceGMC · NMC

Remote prescribing of cosmetic injectables

What it says

Doctors and nurses must not prescribe injectable cosmetic medicines remotely. The prescriber assesses the patient face to face first.

Your website: Pages that explain treatment follows a face to face consultation.
Your systems: Treatment slots that stay locked until a face to face consultation is recorded.
How we work: We map your consultation rules with your prescriber before we build the booking flow.

03LawEngland

Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Act 2021

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What it says

It is an offence to give botulinum toxin or fillers to under 18s for cosmetic purposes, or to arrange it.

Your website: Clear over 18s wording on toxin and filler pages.
Your systems: Date of birth checked at booking, with cosmetic toxin and filler treatments blocked for under 18s.
How we work: No direct impact.

04LawHealth and Care Act 2022

Licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures

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What it says

Section 180 gives the government power to bring in a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England. Check its current status before planning around it.

Your website: Room to show practitioner and premises licence details once the scheme applies.
Your systems: Practitioner records that can hold licence numbers and expiry dates, with renewal reminders.
How we work: We follow the scheme and tell clients when it changes what their site needs to show.

05CodeASA · CAP Code

Claims, testimonials, and before and after photos

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What it says

Before and after photos and testimonials count as claims, and claims need evidence behind them.

Your website: Real, unedited photos with measured wording, and no promised outcomes.
Your systems: Photo consent for marketing recorded separately from clinical photo consent.
How we work: We do not retouch treatment photos, and we query results that look too good to evidence.

06LawICO · UK GDPR

Treatment photos as health data

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What it says

Treatment photos and medical history are special category health data. Using a patient's photo in marketing needs its own, separate consent.

Your website: Only photos with marketing consent appear on the site.
Your systems: Photos stored in the patient's record, not on personal phones, with marketing consent easy to withdraw.
How we work: No direct impact.

Every clinic

Plus the rules everyone follows.

These apply to every UK private clinic with a website. Each one is explained in full, with its impact, on the main page.

Guides for aesthetics.

Built in, not bolted on

A site that follows the rules.

We build every rule on this page into the websites and systems we make for aesthetics clinics. This is a plain English summary, not legal advice, so check each source and take advice from your regulator, indemnity provider, or clinical lead.

Rules for other clinics