The number of regulated clinics in Scotland able to provide cosmetic treatments such as Botox and filler injections has soared by more than 150% amid a boom in demand for non-surgical procedures. Figures obtained by The Herald show that the number of independent clinics registered with the watchdog, Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS), has gone from 200 in April 2017 to 503 in 2023/24. HIS said that "most, but not all" of the 503 independent clinics are offering some kind of cosmetic procedure.
READ MORE: SPECIAL REPORT: Why Scotland's newest private hospitals are cosmetic surgery hubs F IRST PERSON: Microneedling - What's it like to try this skin-tightening treatment? PREVIEW: New Herald series delves into past, present, and future of cosmetic sector The exact size of the sector in Scotland is difficult to quantify, however, as a large number of practitioners - such as beauty therapists - can offer treatments such as filler injections without having to register with HIS. Campaigners warn that the unregulated market is endangering consumers. Ashton Collins, director and founder of Save Face, which was set up in 2014 to raise awareness of problems engulfing the sector UK-wide, said: "Undoubtedly there is a rise, in both medical and non-medical people entering this sector.
"That growth [in the number of clinics registered with HIS] isn't necessarily surprising to us given the volume of enquiries that we deal with from members of the public, and complaints, which are in the mo.