Lack of regulation and training in cosmetic surgery has been an issue for years, and as the popularity of cosmetic treatments increases, the problem has been gathering pace.

UCL steps up this September 2021 with its Masters in Surgery (MS) for aesthetics treatments, of which I am proud to be leading with the international faculty. We will welcome our first cohort of students in the autumn, which will include dentists.

This will make UCL the first-ever global academic institution to offer a comprehensive Masters of Surgery (rather than a Masters of Science) in Aesthetics Surgery and Minimally-Invasive Aesthetics.

In 2015, Sir Bruce Keogh's recommendation was that the government's mandate for Health Education England (HEE) should include the development of accredited postgraduate qualifications for providers of non-surgical interventions and that it should determine accreditation requirements.

As this sector is outside the NHS, its governance has been the focus of much debate over recent years. Current regulations place no restrictions on who performs nonsurgical cosmetic procedures. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) supports the UCL Masters which helps to improve aesthetics training standards. BAAPS' research strategy will help form the research element of our Masters and direct future improvements and safety practices.

UCL is still taking applications for its two MS courses:

  1. 1.

    MS Aesthetics (Minimally-Invasive Aesthetics) will include principles and practice of aesthetics and research context, epigenetics and regenerative aesthetics, fundamentals of minimally-invasive facial aesthetics, minimally-invasive aesthetic practice and advanced minimally-invasive aesthetic practice

Applicants should have medical or dental (BDS) or be an advanced nurse practitioner registered with NMC, or a prescribing pharmacist registered with GPh

Discover more/apply here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/taught-degrees/minimally-invasive-aesthetics-ms

  1. 2.

    MS Aesthetics (Aesthetic Surgery) is designed for surgeons

Discover more/apply here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/taught-degrees/aesthetic-surgery-ms.