Prior to 2021, the aesthetics industry in Sweden was heavily lacking in regulation of patient safety and adequate training of practitioners. Doctors were able to operate and perform procedures without needing any specialist training of how to adequately perform the treatment ensuring patient safety. Alongside this, practitioners without any medical training were also able to perform injectable treatments into anyone who desired to have these treatments done. An extremely worrying thought for many who were hoping to have aesthetic procedures in Sweden.

However, due to a monumental supreme court decision, Sweden’s national legislature passed a new law to ensure patient safety and to ensure proper regulation of the aesthetics industry. This new law, which became official on 1^stJuly 2021, states that only licensed nurses, dentists and doctors can perform threat lifts, dermal fillers and botulinum toxin injections. This new law expects to see an influx of more consumer confidents and safety, knowing that their treatments are being carried out by trained professionals.

Professor Emma Hansson, the President of the Swedish Association of Plastic Surgeons welcomes the introduction of the new regulations; explaining that the new law regarding surgery requires medical professionals to have a good specialist knowledge of the areas, which ensures public safety and confidence in the aesthetic industry. However, Professor Hansson also explained that there is always room for bettering of patient safety in Sweden. She argues that if the Swedish authorities made a definitive list of which specialist certificates and training a doctor must have to perform non-surgical aesthetic treatments, would result in even more patient safety. However, the introduction of the new regulation makes leaps and bounds in bettering patient safety in a way that prior regulations had not.

This improvement in Swedish Regulation has prompted lobbying committees in other countries to push for a change in regulation regarding patient safety and adequate training of professionals.