Level 7 Diploma in Aesthetic Practice

ProQual Level 7 Aesthetics Is Changing in January 2027: What It Means for Your Training

ByCity Hair & Beauty Academy

If you are planning to do Level 7 in aesthetic practice, the date to put in your diary is 1 January 2027. ProQual, the awarding body behind the Level 7 Diploma in Aesthetic Practice that most non-medic injectors in the UK work towards, has published a new Level 7 qualification that starts that day. The entry requirements are higher and the supervision rules during training are stricter.

We have read both ProQual specifications side by side. Here is what actually changes, what nobody can tell you yet, and what it means for your plans.

The Level 7 diploma you can register on today

The current qualification is the ProQual Level 7 Diploma in Aesthetic Practice (610/4479/9). It is regulated by Ofqual and built on Health Education England’s 2015 standards for non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

  • Size: 660 hours of total qualification time, including 380 guided learning hours.
  • Units: six mandatory units covering consultation, the psychology of facial aesthetics, values and ethics, botulinum toxin, temporary dermal fillers and the management of complications.
  • Assessment: a portfolio of evidence. Each practical competence is observed at least ten times, including at least six needle and four cannula filler treatments.
  • Entry: a ProQual Level 5 or 6 Diploma in Aesthetic Practice (or an equivalent), a Level 6 qualification that covers anatomy and professional practice, and a valid Level 3 first-aid qualification. Registered nurses and doctors can enter directly. Everyone must be 18 or over.

The new Level 7 from 1 January 2027

The new qualification is the ProQual Level 7 Diploma in Aesthetic Practice and Injectable Procedures (610/7957/1). Three changes stand out.

1. A higher starting point

You will need a Level 6 diploma or degree in aesthetic practice, plus first aid. Healthcare professionals need their professional registration plus a Level 6 qualification that includes anatomy and physiology, and first aid. That second point matters: nurses and doctors can go straight into today’s Level 7, but under the new specification they need that Level 6 as well.

2. Evidence of English

Learners need to show a set level of English. ProQual gives IELTS 6.5 as an example of the standard it expects.

3. Tighter supervision

If you are not a prescriber, every assessed treatment has to be supported by a prescriber, and your assessor must hold a Level 7 qualification with at least three years’ experience. Not every training provider will be able to set that up, so ask any centre exactly how they will meet it before you pay.

Level 6 is changing too

ProQual has also published a new Level 6 Diploma (610/7962/5), again starting on 1 January 2027. It is a bigger qualification than today’s Level 6 (610/4498/2): 630 hours of total qualification time and 490 guided learning hours, against 535 and 400 now. Entry is a Level 5 diploma, three years’ experience or a healthcare registration, with English at around IELTS 6.0.

What we don’t know yet

ProQual’s new specification does not say whether the current Level 7 (610/4479/9) will close, or when. If anyone tells you there is a fixed deadline, ask them to show it to you in writing from ProQual. We will update our Level 7 course page as soon as ProQual confirms.

Should you start now or wait?

  • You already meet today’s entry requirements. Talk to your centre now about timing, and ask in writing what happens to registered learners if the current diploma closes.
  • You are at Level 3, 4 or 5. Expect your route to Level 7 to run through a Level 6 diploma, and keep your first aid in date. See our Level 5 and Level 6 diplomas.
  • You are a nurse or doctor. Today you can enter Level 7 directly. From 2027 you would need a Level 6 with anatomy and physiology as well, so it may be worth starting sooner.

Frequently asked questions

Is the current Level 7 being withdrawn?

ProQual has not said. The new Level 7 starts on 1 January 2027, but its specification does not give a closing date for the current diploma (610/4479/9).

Will the new Level 7 let me give Botox without a prescriber?

No. Botulinum toxin is a prescription-only medicine, so non-prescribers still need to work with a prescriber. The new diploma puts more emphasis on prescriber support during training, not less.

Where can I train for Level 7 in North London?

At City Hair & Beauty Academy in Wood Green, London N22, a ProQual approved centre close to Bowes Park, Palmers Green and Wood Green stations. Get in touch and we will check which route fits what you already hold.

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