The UK government has launched a social media campaign using TikTok creators to warn about the risks of travelling overseas for cosmetic and medical procedures. The initiative, announced on 15 August, aims to provide clear guidance before people book treatments such as hair transplants, dental work and high-risk cosmetic surgery.

The minibar is one of hospitality’s most overlooked revenue opportunities. For decades it has offered the same predictable selection: miniature bottles of spirits, a couple of mixers, and a chocolate bar that could be bought for a fraction of the price at the nearest shop. Yet with alcohol sales declining and wellness now a priority for travellers, it is time to ask why the hotel minifridge has not evolved.

Our columnist Katie Hughes-Dawkins shares her blueprint for building a sustainable, successful aesthetic business, urging practitioners to cut through industry noise, focus on brand identity over personal branding, delegate strategically, and create a clinic that thrives independently of its founder.

In recent years, skincare has entered an era where beauty meets innovation. Gone are the days when radiance meant nothing more than serums and creams. You can now enhance your facial ritual with cutting-edge gadgets such as LED masks, jade rollers with micro-vibration and AI-powered diagnostic tools. Driven by a booming global market set to grow from around USD 21.3 billion in 2025 to an estimated USD 53.7 billion by 2034, this shift reflects how modern consumers expect their self-care to be as smart as it is soothing.

The UK government has unveiled new plans to regulate the aesthetics industry, targeting unsafe practices that have left patients injured, scarred or requiring urgent NHS care. Under the proposed measures, only qualified healthcare professionals will be allowed to perform the most high-risk procedures, including non-surgical Brazilian butt lifts. These treatments must take place in Care Quality Commission registered clinics.

Experts in facial aesthetics consistently highlight these two features that carry a powerful transformation; shaping, lifting, and rejuvenating your appearance: your brows and your teeth. Together, they shape how youthful, confident, and healthy you appear.

Significant weight loss, while a positive achievement for overall health, can introduce a distinct aesthetic challenge: a marked depletion of facial volume. This phenomenon has become an increasingly prevalent clinical concern, largely driven by the success of modern weight management strategies, including bariatric surgery and the widespread adoption of highly effective GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic and Mounjaro. This has given rise to the clinical descriptor "Ozempic Face," which characterises the accelerated facial ageing, gauntness, and hollowed appearance that can result from rapid and substantial fat loss.

Step inside the world of The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical, and behind the glittering costumes and fashion-forward finesse is a quiet powerhouse making it all look effortless. Carolina Quina, Head of Wigs, Hair, and Makeup, leads one of the most meticulous departments in theatre with an eye for detail and a deep love for transformation.

You’re not a doctor. You’re not pretending to be one. But when you work with skin every day, you notice things. A client books in for a hydrating facial or a new exfoliating treatment, but the therapist sees more than just dullness or congestion. Something is flaring. Something doesn’t settle. Subtle changes in tone, texture, inflammation that shouldn’t be there, or breakouts that follow no pattern. A beauty therapist or clinical facialist often sees more of someone’s face, more regularly, than anyone else in their life. So when something’s not right, it shows and that trained instinct kicks in.

A striking number of salon clients rarely wash their own hair, preferring instead to rely entirely on salon visits for scalp care, shampooing, and styling. They book weekly or twice-weekly appointments and leave the technicalities of scalp care, product selection, and heat styling entirely to the professionals.

This daily physical strain contributes to a high rate of career burnout. Chronic pain and repetitive strain are primary reasons why many technicians leave the profession. Experts argue this is not an inevitable consequence of the work, but a result of workplace practices that can, and should, be changed. By applying the principles of ergonomics, the science of designing the workplace to fit the worker, professionals can move from managing pain to preventing it altogether.

Coworth Park, Dorchester Collection’s modern country house hotel located in the heart of Berkshire, has launched its reimagined spa. Designed to work in harmony with the surrounding countryside, The Spa at Coworth Park offers a slower, deeply intuitive wellness experience, for guests of the hotel, spa members, and visitors to enjoy. 

Chemical peels deliberately cause injury to the skin to provoke a superior healing response. Yet, the discourse surrounding this cornerstone procedure is often muddled, particularly concerning the crucial final step of some peels, the neutralisation. A lack of clarity on when and why a peel must be stopped chemically has led to confusion, not only for the public but for practitioners as well. It is time to assert a clear, evidence-based stance. The necessity of a peel neutraliser is not a matter of opinion or technique; it is a chemical mandate.

It’s the silent pause in a busy facial, the few minutes a mask takes to work its magic. The temptation is real: slip out, check your phone, sort the next appointment. But what if we told you that staying put is the ultimate power move for your business? Here’s why the chicest therapists never leave their clients’ side.

The latest trend to dot your feed? Quite literally, polka dot nails. This playful, vintage-inspired manicure is officially summer’s breakout star, showing up on the fingertips of Hailey Bieber, Dua Lipa, and Sabrina Carpenter. Whether glazed, rhinestoned, or painted in punchy pastels, polka dots are popping up in every possible variation, from minimalist accents to full-blown retro statements. Nail artists are embracing the versatility, mixing black and white classics with cherry red combos or soft blush-on-blush looks. It’s the perfect crossover of fashion and beauty, echoing the season’s obsession with dotted dresses and 60s nostalgia. Call it the mani equivalent of a lemon sorbet: refreshing, sweet, and a little bit cheeky.

Hairdressers today encounter a diverse clientele and an array of human hair extensions sourced from around the world. Each hair type, Slavic, Mongolian, Brazilian, Indian, and European, has distinct natural characteristics that influence how it should be cared for and treated in a salon setting. In this guide, we break down the key physical traits, common challenges, product considerations, and best practice treatments for each hair type. A clear understanding of these differences will help you tailor services like colouring, conditioning, and smoothing to keep every client’s hair healthy and beautiful. Let’s explore each category and conclude with a comparative overview and takeaways for salon use.

Dr. Lylah Hill delves into the science behind SPF, exposing the hidden flaws in how sunscreen efficacy is measured and understood. From outdated testing models to biases in skin type representation, this piece challenges the reliability of current SPF standards and urges a more inclusive, evidence-based approach to photoprotection. Essential reading for anyone who thinks sunscreen is a one-size-fits-all solution.

Many salon professionals have heard clients insist that their natural nails need to “breathe” between manicures. It’s a common refrain: “I’ll skip polish this week to let my nails breathe.” As well-intentioned as this advice sounds, it’s actually a myth. Nails don’t breathe – at least, not in the way people think. Let’s dive into the science of nail physiology, debunk the “nail breathing” misconception, and explain why products like gel polish and nail polish do not inherently damage the nail when used correctly. We’ll also explore how improper techniques, not the products themselves, are usually to blame for nail damage.

Hair loss is one of the most common concerns for men. Whether it’s a slow retreat at the temples or a suspicious patch thinning at the crown, most men will deal with some form of hair loss in their lifetime. And while the instinct might be to ignore it (or panic-Google in the dark), the truth is: there’s a smarter way to fight back.

A new report from Swiss aesthetics brand Teoxane reveals a sharp rise in interest among UK men seeking non-surgical cosmetic procedures, with an estimated 5.2 million now considering dermal filler treatment.