Blackpool Trading Standards to get tough on unscrupulous Botox and cosmetic practitioners

Cosmetic procedures and tattoo parlours are coming under stronger scrutiny in Blackpool to ensure traders are complying to strict rules.

Blackpool Council has received grant funding of £8,500 as part of a government-backed campaign to protect children and young people under the age of 18 from unscrupulous practitioners offering Botox treatments.

Jennifer Clayton, head of public protection and enforcement at Blackpool Council, told councillors the grant would be used “to look at aesthetics and how that can be controlled as it is a process which punctures the skin.”

The Government announced a fund of around £1.4m which would be distributed to councils in 2022/23 to tackle the issue.

A report to Blackpool Council’s Climate Change and Environment Committee says the extra cash will be used in the resort to “to carry our visits and test purchasing scenarios to premises  in Blackpool that offer these services, ensuring procedures are in place to protect children.”

Work is also continuing to ensure tattoo studios in the town are operating properly.

The Tattoo Hygiene Rating Scheme was re-launched in 2022 and there are currently 26 tattoo studios included in the scheme, with newer studios awaiting an assessment by health and safety officers.

Businesses are rated from ‘excellent’ to ‘needs improvement’ with information available on the council’s website.This includes a list of all studios included on the scheme, their rating and an interactive map.

It also sets out the safeguards in place for the businesses, such as an appeals process and a request for a re-visit once improvements have taken place.