The Senate on Sunday adopted, with government support, a measure aimed at regulating aesthetic medicine, subjecting its practice to the permission of a competent doctor’s orders. This step was taken as part of the examination of the first reading of the 2026 Social Security budget draft, the legislative process of which has not yet been completed.
Aesthetic medicine, in contrast to cosmetic surgery, includes many practices, for example botox injections or hair implants. During the hearing in the National Assembly, an amendment was adopted that makes the practice of aesthetic medicine licensed by the Regional Health Agency (ARS), which is issued for a renewable period of 5 years.
But senators adopted an amendment aimed at providing a “competent order” to issue this authorization. This solution is the result of discussions between the government and the National Council of Medical Orders (Cnom), said LR Senator Corinne Imbert, reporter of part of the text.
This move to “better monitor” aesthetic medicine “is a first step. We must do more,” said Health Minister Stéphanie Rist. “We will continue this work because we have to work on the quality, safety, training and regulation of this drug. »
The provisions adopted by the senators also provide for a decision that defines the conditions in terms of “the initial qualifications, training and professional experience necessary to practice this act.” It may therefore be necessary to have a period of previous practice of curative medicine, to prevent the young doctor from immediately devoting himself to this very useful activity.
The aim is to “fight doctors’ move towards aesthetic medicine”, stressed PS senator Annie Le Houérou. “There is currently no official list of doctors specializing in cosmetic procedures and this weakens the territorial network of our healthcare system,” he added.
The order estimates that nearly 10,000 doctors practice aesthetic medicine in France, although this number is difficult to estimate, according to a Senate report accompanying the Social Security budget bill.
