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Trichozette · News

Keep up with regulation and research in hair
and scalp care, with every source linked.

Real news from regulators, professional bodies and researchers, summarised plainly with a link to every source. Members also get a note on why each story matters in practice.
  1. Cosmetic

    A Plaid Cymru MP has asked the Chancellor to cut VAT on labour-intensive salon services to 10% ahead of the autumn Budget

    Ynys Môn MP Llinos Medi wrote to the Chancellor on 23 September asking for a 10% VAT rate for labour-intensive salon services, down from the standard 20%. The proposal is backed by the British Hair Consortium. Medi said the current system is affecting apprenticeship numbers and pushing businesses towards self-employed models, with VAT registration required above £90,000 turnover over a rolling 12 months.

    Why it matters for your practice: membersSource: Nation.Cymru
  2. Cosmetic · Clinical

    The Little Princess Trust has marked ten years of funding childhood cancer research, with more than £39 million invested

    The Little Princess Trust, which provides free real-hair wigs to children and young people, began funding childhood cancer research in 2016 and has since invested more than £39 million across 177 projects. Over the past year it committed £5.5 million to new professorships at the University of Oxford and the University of Birmingham. The charity said providing wigs remains at the heart of its work.

    Why it matters for your practice: membersSource: The Little Princess Trust
  3. Medical · Clinical · Cosmetic

    California has passed a law requiring large-group health plans and Medi-Cal to cover scalp cooling during chemotherapy

    Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1682 on 27 September 2026, requiring large-group health plans and Medi-Cal to cover FDA-cleared scalp cooling for eligible chemotherapy patients from 1 January 2027. A state analysis found three automated systems qualify (Paxman, DigniCap and Amma), while manual cold caps are excluded. The report notes that scalp cooling can otherwise cost patients between $2,500 and $5,000.

    Why it matters for your practice: membersSource: KPBS
  4. Medical · Cosmetic

    Irish aesthetic doctors call for safeguards on injectables before harms spread

    The incoming president of the Irish College of Aesthetic Medicine has urged Ireland to introduce regulatory safeguards for Botox and dermal fillers, pointing to recent harms in the UK linked to unlicensed products. The HPRA detained around 10,000 dosage units of botulinum toxin, hyaluronidase and lidocaine in the three years to 2024. The college is setting up a practitioner register, a postgraduate training pathway and a complications clinic.

    Why it matters for your practice: membersSource: Irish Medical Times
  5. Cosmetic · Clinical · Medical

    ASA and CAP publish guidance on advertising hair-loss products and services

    The advertising regulator has set out how the codes apply to hair-loss marketing, including the line between medicinal claims, such as preventing or curing hair loss, and cosmetic claims backed by robust evidence. Prescription-only medicines such as finasteride and oral minoxidil must not be advertised to the public, although clinics may promote consultations. Before-and-after images must reflect typical outcomes and testimonials cannot stand in for clinical evidence.

    Why it matters for your practice: membersSource: Advertising Standards Authority
  6. Cosmetic · Medical

    Scottish Parliament passes law regulating non-surgical cosmetic procedures

    MSPs voted on 17 March 2026 to pass the Non-surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Bill. Covered treatments, including toxin, fillers, microneedling, some chemical peels and laser treatments, will be banned for under-18s and restricted to premises registered with Healthcare Improvement Scotland under oversight from a GMC, NMC, GDC or GPhC registrant. The main requirements are expected to apply from September 2027.

    Why it matters for your practice: membersSource: Aesthetics Journal
  7. Cosmetic

    NHBF sets out hair and beauty sector position on Scotland's non-surgical bill

    The National Hair & Beauty Federation said it supports consumer safety regulation but wants standards based on demonstrated competence rather than professional titles alone. It described the bill's two-tier model, with higher-risk procedures under healthcare oversight and lower-risk procedures licensed by local authorities. The federation called for fair supervision models and transitional support for legitimate businesses.

    Why it matters for your practice: membersSource: National Hair & Beauty Federation
  8. Cosmetic · Medical

    Calls grow in Ireland to regulate who can inject dermal fillers

    The Irish College of Aesthetic Medicine has warned that Irish law does not define who is appropriately trained to administer dermal fillers, which can be bought online and injected without qualifications. The programme for government commits to examining filler administration, with a Health Research Board review expected in the first half of 2026 before the Department of Health considers options.

    Why it matters for your practice: membersSource: The Irish Times
  9. Cosmetic

    New limits on oxybenzone in cosmetics take effect in Great Britain

    Revised concentration limits for the UV filter oxybenzone (benzophenone-3) in cosmetic products came into force in Great Britain on 21 January 2026, following scientific advice on potential health risks. Most product types other than general skin, face, hand and lip products, which would include hair products, are limited to 0.5%. Products placed on the market before that date may be sold until 21 July 2026.

    Why it matters for your practice: membersSource: legislation.gov.uk
  10. Cosmetic

    FDA misses another deadline on formaldehyde ban in hair straighteners

    The US FDA did not meet its 31 December 2025 target to propose a rule banning formaldehyde and related chemicals in hair-straightening products, after several earlier delays. The agency said the rule remained a priority. The concern centres on cancer risk and on disproportionate exposure among Black women.

    Why it matters for your practice: membersSource: CNN
  11. Cosmetic · Medical

    Review links some hair-straightening treatments to acute kidney injury

    A systematic review in the World Journal of Nephrology examined 36 episodes of acute kidney injury in 34 women after hair-straightening treatments. Many involved products marketed as formaldehyde-free, several containing glyoxylic acid, and most kidney biopsies showed calcium oxalate crystals. All patients recovered, most without dialysis.

    Why it matters for your practice: membersSource: World Journal of Nephrology (via PMC)
  12. Cosmetic · Medical

    US cohort study links chemical straightener use with some non-reproductive cancers

    An analysis of more than 46,000 women in the US Sister Study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, found that recent use of chemical hair straighteners was associated with higher rates of pancreatic and thyroid cancer. The authors noted limits, including exposure measured only at baseline and no information on specific product ingredients.

    Why it matters for your practice: membersSource: Dermatology Times
  13. Clinical · Cosmetic

    Study finds scalp microbiome differs by dandruff severity and sex

    Researchers from Unilever R&D compared the scalp microbiome of 112 adults and found that more severe dandruff was associated with less Cutibacterium acnes and more Staphylococcus capitis, Corynebacterium and Malassezia restricta. Men showed a profile resembling severe dandruff even at lower clinical severity. The work was published as a British Journal of Dermatology supplement and was industry-funded.

    Why it matters for your practice: membersSource: British Journal of Dermatology
  14. Cosmetic

    Methyl salicylate limits for cosmetics, including hair products, come into force

    New Great Britain limits on methyl salicylate in cosmetic products took effect on 30 September 2025. For hair products the maximum is 0.06% in non-spray products and 0.009% in sprays and aerosols. Products already on the market could be sold until 31 March 2026.

    Why it matters for your practice: membersSource: legislation.gov.uk
  15. Cosmetic · Medical

    MHRA investigates illegal Botox after botulism cases in England

    The MHRA's Criminal Enforcement Unit opened investigations after 41 confirmed botulism cases were reported in England between June and August 2025. Unlicensed toxin had been given in homes, hair salons and by mobile services, often by untrained people. More than 4,700 vials of unlicensed botulinum toxin have been seized since May 2023.

    Why it matters for your practice: membersSource: GOV.UK (MHRA)
  16. Clinical · Cosmetic · Medical

    Meta-analyses reach mixed conclusions on adding low-level laser to minoxidil

    A meta-analysis of seven randomised trials in Lasers in Medical Science found that low-level laser therapy combined with topical minoxidil gave modest gains in hair density and diameter over minoxidil alone, with similar side effects. A smaller January 2025 meta-analysis of four trials in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment found no significant difference. The evidence base remains small and varied.

    Why it matters for your practice: membersSource: Lasers in Medical Science
  17. Cosmetic · Medical

    Government sets out licensing plans for non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England

    The UK government announced that the highest-risk procedures, such as non-surgical Brazilian butt lifts, will be limited to qualified healthcare professionals in CQC-registered settings. Botox and fillers will fall under a local authority licensing scheme with training, safety and insurance standards, and the government intends to restrict high-risk procedures for under-18s. A further public consultation was promised for early 2026.

    Why it matters for your practice: membersSource: GOV.UK (DHSC)
  18. Medical · Clinical · Cosmetic

    ISHRS census reports younger patients and more black-market hair transplant repairs

    The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery's 2025 census found that most first-time surgical patients were aged 20 to 35 and that female surgical patients rose by 16.5% between 2021 and 2024. Some 59% of members said illicit hair transplant clinics operate in their cities, and repairs of black-market procedures averaged 10% of cases.

    Why it matters for your practice: membersSource: International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery