Harley Academy’s End of Year Round-Up from Dr Tristan Mehta

It’s time for our annual Harley Academy end-of-year round-up from our founder, Dr Tristan Mehta! 

Here, he looks back on our 2024 and shares some exciting news about what’s coming in 2025.

Scroll down to watch his video, or read on below. You can also skip to the bottom if you're looking for our festive opening hours for 2024/2025...

Some 2024 highlights

Before we go over to Dr Tristan, here are a few of our 2024 highlights.

After opening our second - and flagship - centre, Harley Academy Threadneedle Street in the summer of 2023, 2024 has been a year of consolidation. 

We have been working hard on improving and maintaining the quality of our aesthetics training across the board. This has resulted in some new skin and filler courses as well as our career-focused placement. 

In 2024, we had many highlights, including…

• Introducing The Aesthetics Accelerator course 
• Becoming the only authorised HA-Derma training partner for Profhilo Structura
• Launching our Polynucleotides Training Course
• Creating the Harley Academy Clinical Placement 
• Acquiring Comma
• Changing the names of our most popular aesthetics courses.

The Aesthetics Accelerator 

Designed to kickstart your medical aesthetics career, for those who want to do more than a one-day course but aren’t yet ready for the full Level 7 experience.

The Aesthetics Accelerator offers Foundation Training in Medical Aesthetics, covering the theory and practice of botox and fillers. It also provides more hands-on mentoring sessions - with no patient sharing - and added eLearning content including modules on complications and marketing.

This course is an upgraded and expanded replacement for our former Core Training in Botox & Dermal Fillers.

Profhilo Structura Training Course

Everyone in this industry knows about the game-changing, bio-remodelling skin injectable, Profhilo. 

In 2024, Profhilo welcomed a new innovation to its stable - Profhilo Structura. Used to treat facial ‘sagging and sinking’, this new injectable regenerates subcutaneous fat to give filler-like results with a great safety profile.

As HA-Derma’s exclusive UK Profhilo training partner, we were excited to launch our authorised Profhilo Structura Training Course this year. Now more clinicians can add this exciting rejuvenation treatment to their menus.

Polynucleotides Training Course

Possibly 2024’s most talked-about treatment, polynucleotides came to Harley Academy this year! We’ve seen huge patient demand for this at The Academy Clinic, most notably after the media reported Kim Kardashian’s love for the ‘salmon sperm facial’.

Whether for under eye treatments or the full face, our Polynucleotides Training Course has got you covered. This popular course has been made available as both a standalone course and as a module within our Level 7+.

Harley Academy Clinical Placement

This new 4-month programme provides graduates from our Level 7 Diploma in Cosmetic Injectables or Level 7+ courses with meaningful experience of working as an aesthetic practitioner in a busy London clinic. 

If you secure one of the hotly-contested places, you’ll be treating a full patient roster and growing both your skills and confidence with support from our faculty. Put your Level 7 learning into practice and develop your clinical techniques to increase your aesthetic medicine career opportunities.

You can learn all about it and apply via our Clinical Placement webpage.

Harley Academy acquired Comma

Comma - the global online Community for Medical Aesthetics - is a private social platform where aesthetic medicine professionals from around the world can get together to share, discuss and enjoy virtual peer support. 

It’s also home to an exclusive, invitation-only Harley Academy trainee and graduate community. If you’re a current trainee or recent graduate who isn’t a member, do let our Student Support team know!

A number of our Board members were involved in setting Comma up during lockdown, and then in 2024 Harley Academy acquired Comma.

We have huge plans for this space and encourage all healthcare professionals working in medical aesthetics to join at joincomma.com. You’ll be required to submit an application form including your professional registration number, then if you’re approved, you’ll receive an email welcoming you to our community!

Filler and botox course name changes

Some recent changes you’ll notice we’re currently rolling out are to the names of our most popular filler and botox courses. These name changes are unrelated to any other changes to the content of the courses, they’re simply a refresh.

The courses that have been renamed are, as follows:

• Level 7 Diploma in Botox & Dermal Fillers is now the Level 7 Diploma in Cosmetic Injectables
• Combined Level 7 is now the Level 7+ 
• Foundation Training in Botox & Dermal Fillers is now Foundation Training in Medical Aesthetics
• Cheeks, Mid-Face & Lower Face Filler Masterclass is now the Facial Contouring Masterclass.

Now we’ll hand you over to the boss…

Harley Academy’s End-of-Year Round-Up

“As we wrap up 2024, I want to take a moment to reflect on everything we’ve achieved this year,” says Dr Tristan.

His 2024 highlights can be categorised into three sections:

• Aesthetics regulation 
• Celebrating major milestones that will help us to move forward in 2025
• A personal note.

1. Aesthetics regulation – progress and frustration

“Let’s start with an issue that’s close to all of our hearts: regulation in aesthetics. It’s been disappointing to see how little progress has been made this year, especially when proper standards are so vital for patient safety and the integrity of our field. But there’s reason to feel hopeful,” Dr Tristan shares.  

“We’ve been actively engaging with key stakeholders, and I’m optimistic that January will bring some encouraging updates. Rest assured, Harley Academy will continue to advocate for robust and meaningful aesthetics regulation.”

You can find more information on where we are with aesthetics regulation, the licensing scheme for aesthetic practitioners and their premises plus what we’re waiting for in 2025 in our article, What Happened to Aesthetics Regulation & Licensing in 2024?

2. Celebrating major milestones

“This year, we’ve reached some incredible milestones,” notes Dr Tristan. 

“Back in February, we closed a major investment round. This has given us the resources to focus on some truly transformative projects. 

“Over the course of 2024, we’ve been hard at work preparing for launches that will shape 2025 and beyond.”

Big plans for 2025

In an exclusive snippet, he reveals, “One of our most exciting initiatives is a new set of evidence-based injection guidelines, which have been in development for two years. 

“We believe this will redefine how we approach injectable treatments by introducing a global framework for safety, precision, and consistency. It won’t be just a new system, but a leap forward for the entire aesthetics industry.

“Alongside this, we’ve been building deeper partnerships with manufacturers and key stakeholders. These collaborations are essential to our mission of setting new benchmarks for aesthetics and ensuring we’re aligned with the best practices in the field.”

We’ll be sharing more on this throughout 2025 and can’t wait to hear what you think!

3. A personal note

“On a personal note, 2024 has been an unforgettable year for my wife, Emily and I – we started a family! It’s been a truly life-changing experience and I feel incredibly lucky to have had such a rewarding year both professionally and personally.”

We’re thrilled for Drs Tristan and Emily and were delighted to welcome new baby Mehta as the guest of honour at our recent Christmas party.

Moving into 2025

“As we look ahead to 2025, I’m filled with excitement about what’s coming next,” our CEO enthuses.

“With new launches, strengthened partnerships and, hopefully, progress on aesthetics regulation, we’re laying the foundation for an even brighter future in aesthetic medicine.

“Thank you to everyone – our incredible team, students, and partners – for being part of this journey. Wishing you a restful holiday season, and I can’t wait to share more with you in the new year.”

Harley Academy festive opening hours 2024/2025

As the holiday season draws in, we’ll all be taking a well-earned break - and we hope you will be, too!

Our festive hours for 2024/2025 are as follows:

Harley Academy Threadneedle Street & Copthall Avenue: Closed from 25th December, reopening on 3rd January

Harley Academy Student Support: Closed from 25th December, available from 2nd January.

Wishing you a wonderful end to 2024 and a happy, healthy and successful 2025! See you in the New Year

All information correct at time of publication