BOTOX injections, chemical skin peels, lip implants and other popular cosmetic procedures will have to be carried out by trained medical professionals as part of sweeping changes to the cosmetic treatment industry announced today.

The Government outlined an overhaul of cosmetic healthcare in Britain in response to concerns about the lack of national regulation and the risk to patients posed by "cowboy" practices.

Doctors will be banned from carrying out any beauty-enhancing surgery without at least five years’ training in the relevant specialty, as The Times revealed earlier this month.

There are believed to be at least 600 doctors in the private sector carrying out potentially risky operations such as breast enlargements, facelifts and liposuction, of whom only half are thought to have the necessary qualifications to comply with the new rules.

Strict regulations are to be introduced for other cosmetic procedures, such as Botox injections and chemical peels to ensure that they are performed only by those who are medically qualified. Such has been the recent demand for Botox procedures, which reduce worry lines and crow’s feet, that beauty clinics and hairdressing salons have started offering the treatment. Botox parties, where the injections are administered to groups of people at home, have also become popular.

More than 20,000 providers of cosmetic treatments in England are expected to fall under the new regulations, which will be enforced from April 2006. Some providers were currently illegally advertising treatments such as Botox, which as a prescription drug should not be promoted in this way.

The Government announcement, made by Sir Liam Donaldson, the Chief Medical Officer, follows two reports published today which call for urgent action to protect the public from unscrupulous surgeons and botched injections.

Sir Liam said: "Cosmetic procedures are a rapidly growing area of private healthcare. Many people spend their hard-earned money on these services. Some are disappointed with the outcome but a minority can suffer serious harm or disfigurement.

"Standards in the cosmetic treatments field must be as high as other areas of healthcare. We must ensure we properly protect patients’ safety by improving the training, regulation and information provided."

Sir Liam also said they were currently reviewing the safety of cosmetic fillers, especially those using human tissue, to assess the risk of blood-borne viruses such as vCJD, the human form of Mad Cow Disease. Such treatments are used to reshape the face, such as plumping up the lips.

Many fillers currently do not fall under any time of regulation because they use human tissue products.

Sir Liam later told Sky News that he had heard examples of sales people without any medical qualifications assessing women for surgery. He said: "We want to cut out these kind of practices. We want to make it clear to people that it's not necessarily a quick way to look beautiful. It does have its downsides.

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Should Knox’s trial even have reached the courtroom?
• All that glitters is not sold in Wright’s world
• Believe it or not, Big Brother is your friend