HOW TO HIRE · BEAUTY & GROOMING

How to hire a microdermabrasion therapist in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

In the UK, microdermabrasion therapists work without any licence or register. Here is what to check, what to ask about the device, and what to do if it goes wrong.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
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  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a microdermabrasion therapist in five steps

  1. Ask about the deviceDiamond-tip or crystal, and how the tips are cleaned.
  2. Skin must be calmNo sessions over active acne, rosacea flares or broken skin.
  3. Stop exfoliants firstRetinoids and acids paused a few days before.
  4. Price the courseSingle session or a course, and what each costs.
  5. Wear SPF afterNew skin is more sensitive.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

There is no register to search for microdermabrasion therapists in any of the four UK nations, and no licence to show. Licensing starts where the skin is pierced, which a microdermabrasion does not do. In Greater London a borough's Special Treatments Licence covers listed treatments such as massage and manicures; ask whether the microdermabrasion falls inside it.

A certificate for the microdermabrasion and an insurer's name are the two things to ask for. gov.uk →

Insurance that covers the microdermabrasion

A microdermabrasion therapist's insurance should name the microdermabrasion itself; general beauty cover often leaves out the riskier work. If a product or tool injures you, public liability insurance is what pays.

Get the insurer's name in writing and check the schedule mentions the microdermabrasion.

Trader status under the Consumer Rights Act 2015

Your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 apply when microdermabrasion therapists trade as a business: the microdermabrasion must be done with reasonable care and skill, and if it is not, you can ask for a repeat or a lower price.

Find the trader badge on the profile, and keep the confirmation with the price on it. legislation.gov.uk →

VAT

Microdermabrasion is a cosmetic skin treatment taxed at 20% from a registered clinic, course sessions included. A microdermabrasion therapist's business above the £90,000 threshold must charge VAT and show it apart from the session or course price.

Ask for the clinic's VAT number and for VAT shown on the course total. gov.uk →

“Which microdermabrasion device do you use, and how are the tips cleaned?”

A good answer: A named device, and tips cleaned or replaced between clients.

“Where did you train on it?”

A good answer: A course for that device, and the therapist's years with it.

“Is my skin suitable?”

A good answer: Questions about acne, rosacea, fillers and medication before the microdermabrasion.

“How many sessions will I need?”

A good answer: An honest number and price per session.

“Is the neck included?”

A good answer: Yes or no, with the price.

“What aftercare do I need?”

A good answer: SPF, gentle products and no actives for a few days.

“What if my skin is red for days?”

A good answer: The microdermabrasion therapist explains what is normal and when to come back.

Getting the quote right

  • Single session or course, face or face and neck
  • LED, mask or peel add-ons
  • Course terms if you stop part way
  • Who actually attends: the microdermabrasion therapist who did your consultation, or another on the rota, and whether that therapist is employed or subcontracted
  • The clinic's VAT number, with VAT apart from the session, the course and the add-ons

Walk away if

  • Tips not cleaned between clients
  • Treating over active acne or a rosacea flare
  • A large course sold before a first session
  • No SPF or aftercare advice
LOW
£45
TYPICAL
£80
HIGH
£120

What a microdermabrasion therapist costs: £45–£120 per session

Microdermabrasion therapists price per session, with courses lowering the price each. Microdermabrasion 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

Microdermabrasion therapists 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. Skin checkSuitability confirmed.
  2. CleanseMake-up and oil removed.
  3. ResurfaceThe device passed over the skin to buff away the top layer.
  4. SootheA calming serum.
  5. FinishMoisturiser, SPF and the microdermabrasion therapist's aftercare.

Microdermabrasion
Mechanical exfoliation of the top layer of skin with a device.
Diamond tip
A device head with a diamond surface.
Crystal flow
Fine crystals sprayed and vacuumed over the skin.
Course
Several sessions bought together.
Rosacea
A skin condition that can flare; a reason to wait.
SPF
Sun protection factor.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the receipt and course termsSessions bought and what is left.
Wear SPF dailyFor the weeks after each session.
Watch for lasting rednessTell the microdermabrasion therapist if it does not settle.
Leave the reviewRate the microdermabrasion from your Locufy booking once it is finished. If the microdermabrasion is not right, use the make-it-right step first so the microdermabrasion therapist can put it right before the review goes up.

STEP 1Tell the microdermabrasion therapist, in writingKeep it factual: what was agreed, what you got, what you want now. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you a redo first and money back second.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyGive the microdermabrasion under four stars and we ask whether to send it to the microdermabrasion therapist first; we follow it through with them, and then you review.
STEP 3No regulator — Trading StandardsNo body licenses a microdermabrasion therapist, so a microdermabrasion dispute you cannot settle goes to Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline (0808 223 1133) in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060) or Consumerline in Northern Ireland (0300 123 6262).
STEP 4Small claims, if it comes to moneyIf the microdermabrasion therapist will not refund or redo the microdermabrasion, 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 a microdermabrasion therapist: questions people ask

No register exists for microdermabrasion therapists. The one licence to ask about is a London borough's Special Treatments Licence, if the salon is in Greater London.

Write to the microdermabrasion therapist first. Your right under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 is a repeat of the work, or a price reduction where repeating it is not possible.

£45–£120 per session, typically around £80. Face and neck, medical clinics and London addresses cost more; courses lower the price each. Check the microdermabrasion price guide for the full picture, then search your town above for microdermabrasion therapists close by.

Tell the therapist; a flare is a reason to wait.

Read the course terms before paying. If you booked online or away from the premises, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 give 14 days to cancel, less what was used.

Tell the therapist in writing and get advice. A session not done with reasonable care and skill can be a reason for a reduction.

MORE GUIDES

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Microdermabrasion therapists near you

Microdermabrasion therapists in LondonMicrodermabrasion therapists in ManchesterMicrodermabrasion therapists in BirminghamMicrodermabrasion therapists in GlasgowMicrodermabrasion therapists in BelfastAll microdermabrasion therapists on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — tattoo, piercing and electrolysis licence (England and Wales), with London's Special Treatments Licence
  2. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — your rights when a service falls short
  4. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — cancellation period
  5. gov.uk — VAT rates
  6. nidirect — small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  7. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register