Nobody inspected this salon

How we work

Why we say so out loud

Clients walking into a salon reasonably assume somebody has checked it. Food premises are inspected and rated. Taxi drivers are licensed. Electricians work under competent person schemes. Hairdressing and most beauty therapy in England have none of that: no licence to trade, no compulsory qualification, no mandatory registration. The Hair Council exists and registration with it is entirely voluntary. Nobody has vetted the premises, the practitioner or the products.

Because that assurance does not exist, the industry divides into businesses that invest in training, insurance and proper procedure, and businesses that do not — and from the pavement the two look exactly alike. Saying so is mildly against our interest, since it invites a client to interrogate us. It is also the only way the distinction becomes visible, so we publish the qualifications, hold insurance we will produce on request, and hold council registration for the specific treatments that genuinely require it.

The one area where the law is strict is worth knowing too. Botulinum toxin and prescription-only fillers involve prescription medicines and a proper assessment, and administering either for cosmetic purposes to someone under eighteen is a criminal offence. We offer neither. Where a treatment falls into the registered category — skin piercing, micropigmentation, electrolysis — we either hold the registration or do not offer it. There is no third option that is honest.