HOW TO HIRE · BEAUTY & GROOMING

How to hire an anti-wrinkle practitioner in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Botulinum toxin is prescription-only in every UK nation. Here is how to check the prescriber and the product, what to ask, and what to do if it goes wrong.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an anti-wrinkle practitioner in five steps

  1. Find out who prescribesA named doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist prescriber, who sees you before the first injection. No prescriber, no treatment.
  2. Look them up on their registerGMC for doctors, NMC for nurses, GDC for dentists, GPhC for pharmacists. It takes a minute.
  3. Ask to see the boxA UK-licensed product, with the packaging and batch number shown to you before it is drawn up.
  4. Get the plan and price in writingThe areas, the review appointment and whether a top-up at review is included.
  5. Walk away from a cheap pop-upKitchen-table, party or salon-back-room offers well under the usual price are the warning the MHRA gives.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

Prescriber for botulinum toxin

Botulinum toxin is prescription-only in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The MHRA says an anti-wrinkle treatment has to be prescribed for you personally, either directly by an appropriate prescriber or under a Patient Specific Direction — so a prescriber on a professional register must assess you before the first injection, whoever does the injecting. A general beauty policy rarely extends to needles. The anti-wrinkle practitioner needs insurance that lists botulinum toxin treatment by name, and the prescriber carries their own indemnity.

Ask the anti-wrinkle practitioner who the prescriber is and when they will see you, then search their name on the GMC, NMC, GDC or GPhC register. Ask for the insurer's name and to see the line on the schedule that covers anti-wrinkle injections.

A UK-licensed product, not an import

The MHRA prosecutes the supply of unlicensed botulinum toxin under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, after people treated with it were taken to hospital with botulism. A product bought outside the prescription route has no quality checks behind it.

Before your anti-wrinkle treatment, ask to see the packaging and the batch number. gov.uk →

Under-18 ban (England)

Since 1 October 2021 it is an offence in England to give botulinum toxin to anyone under 18 for a cosmetic reason, or to arrange it, under England's Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Act 2021. A parent's consent is no defence, so a careful anti-wrinkle practitioner checks age.

Expect to be asked for photo ID if you look young; a practitioner who never asks is not following the law. gov.uk →

Licensing: announced, not in force

No licence for anti-wrinkle treatment is in force in England. The Department of Health and Social Care said in August 2025 that clinics giving Botox and fillers will need a local authority licence, but the scheme still needs consultation and Parliament and has no start date. Scotland's 2026 Act has passed, but its offences have not started.

Until a scheme starts, the prescriber's register entry and the anti-wrinkle practitioner's insurance are the checks you make yourself. gov.uk →

VAT

Anti-wrinkle injections given for looks alone are standard-rated at 20%, even when a doctor, dentist or nurse on a professional register gives them; the exemption covers only care given to treat a health problem. A clinic over the £90,000 threshold must add that 20% and print it as a line of its own.

Ask the clinic for its VAT number and check the invoice charges VAT on the cosmetic treatment rather than calling it exempt. gov.uk →

“Who is the prescriber, and will they see me in person before the first anti-wrinkle injection?”

A good answer: A name, a profession and a registration number you can check, and a face-to-face consultation booked before the treatment.

“Which botulinum toxin product will you use, and can I see the box and batch number?”

A good answer: "Yes, I'll open it in front of you." A UK-licensed product, named on your notes.

“How many areas do I need, and how many units of botulinum toxin for each?”

A good answer: An honest assessment that may be fewer areas than you asked for, with the dose recorded.

“What could go wrong, and what do you do if it does?”

A good answer: The common side effects and the rare serious ones, explained before you sign, with what the anti-wrinkle practitioner does about each.

“Is the two-week review of the anti-wrinkle result included, and is a top-up at review free?”

A good answer: A clear yes or no, in writing, before you book.

“Who do I call out of hours after the injection?”

A good answer: A number that is answered, and the advice that swallowing, speech or breathing trouble means calling NHS 111 or 999 at once.

“What is your training, and who insures you for injectables?”

A good answer: A named course and years of practice, and an insurer whose policy lists anti-wrinkle treatment.

“Is there anything in my health that rules this out?”

A good answer: Questions about pregnancy, breastfeeding, nerve or muscle conditions and medicines — before any price is talked about.

Getting the quote right

  • The areas treated, and the price for each, rather than a single "from" figure
  • The prescriber's name and the date of the face-to-face consultation
  • Whether the review appointment and any top-up at it are included
  • The deposit, the cancellation terms and what happens to the deposit if the prescriber says no
  • Who actually attends: the prescriber, the anti-wrinkle practitioner who injects, or both, and whether the injector is employed by the clinic or subcontracted
  • The clinic's VAT number, and VAT at 20% on its own line for each area treated

Walk away if

  • No prescriber, or a prescriber you will only meet by text message
  • Treatment in a kitchen, a party, a hotel room or the back of a salon
  • A price far below every other clinic near you
  • They will not show you the packaging or tell you the product
  • They do not ask your age, your medical history or your medicines
  • Pressure to book more areas, or to pay today for a discount
LOW
£100
TYPICAL
£200
HIGH
£350

What an anti-wrinkle practitioner costs: £100–£350 per treatment

Anti-wrinkle treatment is priced by the number of areas, with the consultation and the two-week review either included or charged on top. Anti-Wrinkle Injections price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Anti-wrinkle practitioners near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Consultation and assessmentThe prescriber takes your medical history, looks at your face moving, and agrees whether treatment suits you — before any price is settled.
  2. ConsentThe areas, dose, risks and aftercare written down and signed; you can still say no.
  3. Product checkThe UK-licensed product shown and recorded on your notes with its batch number.
  4. InjectionSmall doses into the agreed muscles, with clean skin and a fine needle, in a clinical room.
  5. Aftercare and reviewWritten aftercare, an out-of-hours number and a review booked for about two weeks later.

Prescription-only medicine (POM)
A medicine that can only be supplied against a prescription — botulinum toxin is one.
Patient Specific Direction (PSD)
A prescriber's written instruction for a named patient, after assessing them, which lets another person give the medicine.
Units
How the dose of botulinum toxin is measured; the number per area goes on your notes.
Batch number
The code on the box that traces the product; ask to see it.
Review
The follow-up about two weeks after treatment, when the result is checked.
Yellow Card
The MHRA's scheme for reporting side effects of medicines and devices.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the treatment recordThe product, the batch number, the areas and the dose, with the prescriber's name — you or another clinic will need it later.
Watch for warning signsThe MHRA says botulism symptoms can take up to four weeks: trouble swallowing, slurred speech, breathing difficulty. Call NHS 111 or 999 straight away.
Go to the reviewThe review, usually booked about two weeks on, is when an uneven anti-wrinkle result is checked and corrected.
Leave the reviewOnly booked treatments can be reviewed on Locufy. If the result is wrong, use the make-it-right step first so the anti-wrinkle practitioner can put it right.

STEP 1Tell the anti-wrinkle practitioner, in writingSend a message setting out what went wrong with the anti-wrinkle treatment and what you want. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, work done without reasonable care and skill can be redone free or the price reduced.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyGive the anti-wrinkle treatment under four stars and we ask whether to send it to the anti-wrinkle practitioner first; we follow it through with them, and then you review.
STEP 3Side effects, unlicensed product or an under-18 injectionReport a reaction to an anti-wrinkle treatment through the MHRA's Yellow Card scheme. A prescriber who never assessed you can be reported to their own regulator — the GMC, NMC, GDC or GPhC. In England, an anti-wrinkle treatment given to anyone under 18 goes to Trading Standards, which enforces the 2021 Act with the police.
STEP 4Small claims, if it comes to moneyIf the anti-wrinkle practitioner will not refund or redo the anti-wrinkle treatment, you can claim without a solicitor: up to £10,000 on the small claims track in England and Wales, up to £5,000 under simple procedure in Scotland, and up to £5,000 in the small claims court in Northern Ireland.

Hiring an anti-wrinkle practitioner: questions people ask

The person injecting does not have to be on a register, but the prescriber does: botulinum toxin is a prescription-only medicine, so a doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist prescriber on the GMC, GDC, NMC or GPhC register must assess you. No licence for clinics is in force yet.

In England, no: since 1 October 2021 it is an offence to give botulinum toxin to anyone under 18 for a cosmetic reason, even with a parent's consent. Scotland has passed an Act with a similar offence that is not yet in force.

£100–£350 per treatment, typically around £200. The number of areas sets most of it; a senior prescriber and a London clinic cost more. The anti-wrinkle injections price guide explains each factor, and a search above lists anti-wrinkle practitioners working in your area.

Trouble swallowing, slurred speech or difficulty breathing can be signs of botulism and can appear up to four weeks later. Call NHS 111 or 999 at once, then tell the prescriber and report it on the MHRA's Yellow Card site.

Only if a prescriber has assessed you and prescribed the botulinum toxin for you. A beautician who supplies the product without a prescriber is breaking medicines law.

The government announced a local authority licensing scheme in August 2025, but it needs consultation and Parliament first and is not in force. Until it is, the checks on this page are yours to make.

MORE GUIDES

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How to hire: Dermal FillersHow to hire: Lip FillersHow to hire: AestheticianHow to hire: Chemical PeelsHow to hire: MicroneedlingHow to hire: DermaplaningHow to hire: FacialsHow to hire: MicrodermabrasionAll 701 hiring guides →

Anti-wrinkle practitioners near you

Anti-wrinkle practitioners in LondonAnti-wrinkle practitioners in ManchesterAnti-wrinkle practitioners in BirminghamAnti-wrinkle practitioners in GlasgowAnti-wrinkle practitioners in BelfastAll anti-wrinkle practitioners on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk (MHRA) — crackdown on illegal 'Botox'
  2. Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Act 2021, section 1
  3. Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Act 2021, section 6 — extent
  4. gov.uk — botulinum toxin and cosmetic fillers for under-18s: guidance for enforcement officers
  5. gov.uk (DHSC) — crackdown on unsafe cosmetic procedures, 6 August 2025
  6. Non-surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Act 2026
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  8. gov.uk — VAT rates
  9. nidirect — small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  10. Health professionals and pharmaceutical products (VAT Notice 701/57) — 4.4 Cosmetic services
  11. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register