Chemical peel consent form: what UK beauty therapists should ask
A chemical peel consent form records the client's medical history, medication and skin type, the peel you used, and their signed agreement that the risks and aftercare were explained. No UK law sets a specific form, but most insurers expect a written consultation and consent for every peel, and the health details you collect are special category data under UK GDPR.
Do you legally need a consent form for a chemical peel?
There is no single UK law that prescribes a chemical peel consent form. What exists is a set of expectations that all point the same way: your insurer's policy terms, your product manufacturer's protocol, and your general duty to carry out a treatment with reasonable care and skill.
In practice, treat the form as required. If a client has a reaction, a signed and dated record of what you asked, what they told you and what you explained is the main evidence that you acted properly. Check your own policy wording, because some insurers specify what the record must contain.
Clients are also being told what to expect. NHS advice on choosing a cosmetic practitioner tells people to ask about qualifications and training, insurance, the most common complications, aftercare and what happens if something goes wrong. A good consent form answers each of those in writing.
Which peels are within a beauty therapist's scope?
Chemical peels are usually described in three depths: light (also called superficial), medium and deep. A light peel removes only the outer layer of skin and is the type offered in beauty salons, usually using alpha hydroxy acids such as glycolic, lactic or mandelic acid, or salicylic acid.
Medium and deep peels reach further into the skin, carry more risk and longer recovery, and are medical procedures. Your consent form should state the product and strength you used so there is no doubt later about which type of peel the client had. Only offer what your qualification and insurance cover.
Contraindications to screen for before every peel
Ask these as direct yes or no questions on the form, on the day of treatment. Timeframes vary between brands, so follow your product manufacturer's protocol where it differs.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding. Many brands and insurers advise against peels.
- Isotretinoin (Roaccutane) in the last 12 months, which affects how skin heals.
- A history of cold sores. A peel can trigger them in people who carry the herpes virus.
- Aspirin or salicylate allergy, which rules out salicylic acid peels.
- Retinoids or exfoliating acids used on the area in the last 7 days.
- Waxing, laser, IPL or dermabrasion on the area in the last 2 weeks.
- Sunburn, sunbed use or planned sun exposure around the treatment.
- Keloid scarring or poor wound healing.
- Eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, open cuts or infection in the treatment area.
- Medication that makes skin sensitive to light.
Hyperpigmentation and darker skin tones
Peels are often booked to treat hyperpigmentation, yet a peel can itself cause it. Nuffield Health lists abnormal pigmentation and permanent discolouration of the skin among the possible complications of a chemical peel.
Most peel manufacturers set different protocols by Fitzpatrick skin type because the risk of pigment change is not the same for everyone. Record the client's skin type on the form, follow your manufacturer's protocol for it, explain the risk in plain words before treatment, and have the client tick that they understood. A client treated for dark patches who was never told a peel could make them worse has a strong complaint. See also our guide to patch testing and how to record it.
Storing the completed form
Medical history, medication and allergies are health data, which the ICO lists as special category data. You need a lawful basis for holding it and a separate condition for processing it, which for most therapists is the client's explicit consent, given on the form itself.
Tell clients what you collect and why in a privacy notice, keep completed forms locked away or in a password-protected system, and decide how long you keep them. Many insurers ask for records to be kept for several years, so check your policy before you set a retention period.
Licensing: what is changing in England
The Health and Care Act 2022 gave the government power to bring in a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England. The Department of Health and Social Care has consulted on it and confirmed a tiered approach, with higher-risk procedures restricted to regulated healthcare professionals and lower-risk ones licensed by local authorities.
The scheme is not yet in force and the list of procedures in each tier has not been finalised. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own rules, and some councils already license certain treatments, so check with your local authority.
What a chemical peel consent form should ask
A preview of our free Chemical Peel Consent Form. The complete, print-ready version is sent to you by email.
Client details
- Full name
- Date of birthDate
- + 2 more in the full form
Medical history
- Are you pregnant or breastfeeding?Yes / No
- Have you taken isotretinoin (Roaccutane) in the last 12 months?Yes / No
- + 9 more in the full form
Skin assessment (completed by your therapist)
- Skin type (Fitzpatrick scale)I · II · III · IV · V · VI
- Concern being treated
- + 1 more in the full form
Treatment record
- Peel product and strength
- Batch number and expiry date
- + 3 more in the full form
Your understanding and consent
- The treatment, and how my skin is likely to look and feel afterwards, has been explained to meYes / No
- I understand the risks, including redness, peeling, infection, scarring and darker or lighter patches of skin that may be permanentYes / No
- + 3 more in the full form
The full form has 28 questions in 5 sections, a signed declaration and space for your business details. Get it free below.
Free template
Get the print-ready Chemical Peel Consent Form
The complete form, print-ready, with space for your business details, tick boxes and both signatures. Free, and yours to adapt.
Frequently asked questions
Is a chemical peel consent form a legal requirement in the UK?
No specific law requires one, but most insurers expect a written consultation and signed consent before a peel, and without it you have little evidence of what was asked and explained. Check your own policy wording.
Do I need a new consent form for every peel in a course?
Take full consent at the start of a course, then check and record any change in health, medication, sun exposure or skin condition before each treatment. If anything has changed, complete a new form.
How long should I keep chemical peel consent forms?
There is no single legal period. Decide a retention period, state it in your privacy notice and keep to it. Many insurers ask for client records to be kept for several years, so check your policy before setting yours.
Can a beauty therapist perform a chemical peel?
Superficial peels are offered by trained beauty therapists. Medium and deep peels are medical procedures. Only carry out the peels your qualification and insurance cover, and check whether your local authority licenses the treatment.
Sources
- Chemical peel: types, risks and aftercare, Nuffield Health
- Choosing who will do your cosmetic procedure, NHS
- What is special category data?, Information Commissioner's Office
- Licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures, Department of Health and Social Care
- COSHH and beauticians: key messages, Health and Safety Executive
Every form your beauty business needs
Consultation, patch test, consent, GDPR and cancellation paperwork as editable templates. One payment, no subscription.
See the form packs, from £29 →These articles are general guidance for UK beauty therapists, not legal or medical advice. Our forms are editable templates: adapt them to your specific treatments, your product manufacturer's protocol and your insurer's terms.