Under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 all premises or individuals that wish to practice the following must register with local authority unless the treatments are done by or under the supervision of medical practitioner, then there is no need to acquire a premise licence:
You can make an application for personal registration and premises registration on the same form.
You must complete the full application process online and upload your completed form and supporting documentation to the GOV UK website online system.
Fee to register the premises £138
Fee to register an operator £75
Apply for a treatment registration on the GOV.UK website
Further guidance on the online application procedure can be found on the EU Services Directive page.
Once an application has been made and the fee(s) paid, arrangements will be made for an officer to visit you to ensure you comply with the strict byelaws and health and safety legislation. The operator and premises registration forms and a copy of the byelaws must be displayed in the premises.
If you practice the treatments without operator or premises registration you are committing an offence and could be fined up to £200.
Tacit consent will not apply as this may compromise public health. Please contact us if you have not been contacted within 28 days of submitting an application.
The practice of the above treatments are controlled through compliance with byelaws. If you practice the treatments without operator or premises registration you are committing an offence and could be fined up to £200. You could be fined a further £200 for failure to comply with the byelaws.
It is an offence to tattoo anyone under the age of 18 unless it is for medical reasons and carried out by a medical practitioner. This legislation is enforced by the police and if prosecuted a fine not exceeding £50 is issued for a first offence or a fine not exceeding £100 is issued for a repeat offence.
You must therefore keep records of each person that you tattoo and ensure you record the type of ID checked at the time of the tattoo on their consent form. We advise that you only accept valid passports or photo driving licenses as ID.
If you are found guilty of tattooing a minor we may revoke or suspend your personal registration and/or the premises registration for tattooing.
What is microblading
It is a form of tattooing, conducted using a blade, which is made up of a row of fine needles. The blade is dipped into a coloured pigment (ink) and then placed into the upper layer of the skin with a slicing motion to create fine hair like strokes. The results are natural looking fuller eyebrows.
What are the risks
The microblading procedure involves puncturing the skin and inserting a pigment (ink). If the microblading equipment is re-used between clients, it will become contaminated and can result in causing localised infection at the site of the puncture or the transmission of blood-borne viruses, for example, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C or HIV. Allergic reactions to the pigment, numbing cream and ointments used as well as scarring from repeated procedures are also associated risks of microblading.
Common symptoms of infection to look out for:
If you experience any of the above symptoms, please seek medical advice and report your concerns to your Local Environmental Health Department.
What training is required?
There is no mandatory, legally required training for people offering microblading treatments. However, since microblading is an invasive procedure, technicians offering microblading treatments should have some level of knowledge and experience in infection prevention and control (IPC) procedures associated with the treatment.
How do I find a salon using safe microblading practices
Environmental Health team
If you have an enquiry about environmental health, send a message to the Environmental Health team
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