MPs are pushing the government to make dermal fillers prescription-only treatments amid growing concerns about a lack of regulation of some medical aesthetic procedures.

A report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing called for fillers and other non-surgical aesthetic treatments such as botox to be more heavily regulated after a year-long inquiry by the Group that found the procedures are growing in popularity and availability. Dermal fillers are provided by some pharmacies.

The Group warned there is “a complete lack of a legal framework of standards around these treatments". The report made 17 recommendations including national minimum standards for practitioner training, the introduction of a national licensing framework, a requirement to psychologically assess customers before treatment and making dermal fillers prescription-only.

Although the Group said it did not want to “state who should or shouldn’t be allowed to become a practitioner” of these treatments, it insisted anyone providing them should undergo “appropriate training and prove their competence to deliver advanced aesthetic treatments".

In a statement, the Group’s co-chairs, Labour MPs Carolyn Harris and Judith Cummins said: “For too long there have been next to no limits on who can carry out aesthetic treatments, what qualifications they must have, or where they can administer them.

“We launched this inquiry as we were deeply concerned that as the number of advanced treatments on the market continues to grow, the regulation remains fragmented, obscure and out of date which puts the public at risk.”

They also said they were concerned about how non-surgical aesthetic treatments are advertised and marketed on social media given how attractive they might be to vulnerable people such as children and individuals with mental health problems.

The report called on social media platforms to stop publishing misleading ads and posts promoting the treatments.

“We strongly urge the Government to implement the recommendations in our report and to take action to improve to improve the situation for the benefit of the industry and public safety. Maintaining the status quo is simply not an option,” the Group said.