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Skin piercing and other non-surgical cosmetic procedures

If you offer tattooing, semi-permanent skin-colouring, cosmetic piercing, electrolysis or acupuncture you must be registered.

Eligibility

You must provide specific information including details of your premises and any previous convictions for practicing skin piercing without being registered or for contravening the relevant Byelaws.

A fee will charged.

Regulation

If you wish to carry on a skin piercing business (or practice acupuncture) you must register both yourself and your premises with the local authority in which you operate. You can normally only work in registered premises, however, once registered and operating from registered premises you may sometimes visit customers at their request to carryout any of the treatments you are registered for. The requirements for acupuncturists are slightly different. 

A premises is normally defined in law as a "piece of land and the buildings thereon". We cannot, therefore, legally register mobile skin piercing activities (e.g. adapted vans, trailers, tents or stalls). The legislation can be found using the link below.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have any necessary planning permission for change of use or comply with any covenants attached to the premises.

Byelaws for Skin Piercing

Fees

Acupuncture registration

  • Premises £134.70
  • Person practising Acupuncture £66.15

Tattooing, semi-permanent skin-colouring, cosmetic-piercing, electrolysis registration

  • Premises £134.70
  • Person carrying on the business £66.15

Apply using word forms and paying by phone

Please email your completed form to environmental.health@stroud.gov.uk 

Payment will be made by telephone so please include your contact telephone detail in the email so that an officer can call you to take a card payment.

Apply and make payment online through gov.uk website

Non-surgical cosmetic procedures

Anyone considering having a non-surgical cosmetic procedure should carry out thorough research beforehand and be aware that there are serious health risks if things go wrong.
 
Non-surgical aesthetic procedures are currently unregulated, meaning people who are not medically trained can carry out procedures. 
 
But the procedures still require a sterile clinical environment and should be performed in appropriate treatment rooms to reduce the risk of infections. 
 
Practitioners should be trained and know what to do if there are complications. 
 
Non-surgical cosmetic procedures may include:

  • Botox or filler injections
  • Microdermabrasion
  • Chemical Peels
  • Non-Surgical Laser Treatment (Laser Lipo and Laser Hair Removal)
  • Thread-lifts
  • Brazilian Butt Lift, BBL or Liquid BBL

Some people who’ve had these procedures have unfortunately experienced issues including excruciating pain and infections, which have required medical interventions and hospitalisation.
 
In September 2023 the government carried out a consultation around a national licencing scheme for some aesthetic procedures. View the list of procedures under review.

View more information on non-surgical cosmetic procedures:

If you have concerns about a clinic or practitioner offering these services locally, or you’ve had complications following one of these procedures, please contact environmental.health@stroud.gov.uk