Cookie Policy

Hillsborough Aesthetics Limited is the operator and data controller of this website.

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device when you visit a website.

They may be used to:

• enable essential website functions;
• remember choices and preferences;
• maintain website security;
• understand how visitors use a website; and
• improve website performance and user experience.

Similar technologies, including browser local storage, scripts and tracking tags, may perform comparable functions. For simplicity, this policy refers to these technologies collectively as "cookies".

PECR applies not only to conventional cookies, but also to technologies such as scripts, tags and web storage that store information on or access information from a user's device.

Under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003, as amended, we may use strictly necessary cookies without consent where they are essential to provide a service requested by the user.

For non-essential technologies, including analytics cookies, we ask for your permission before they are activated.

Our website is configured so that Google Analytics does not load unless you actively select Accept analytics through our cookie banner.

The ICO states that users must be told clearly about cookies, what they do and why they are used, and that consent must be actively and clearly given unless an exemption applies.

A. Strictly necessary technologies

These technologies are required for the website to operate securely and correctly or to remember your cookie preference.

They cannot be disabled through our cookie settings because the website may not function correctly without them.

They may include:

• website security and infrastructure functions;
• page navigation and technical session functions;
• load-balancing and performance-stability functions; and
• browser local storage used to remember whether you accepted or rejected analytics cookies.

The cookie-consent preference does not track your browsing activity. It records only the choice you made so that the website does not repeatedly ask you on every visit.

B. Analytics cookies

With your permission, we use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors use our website.

Google Analytics may collect information such as:

• pages visited;
• approximate visit duration;
• referring website or source;
• device and browser type;
• general geographic location;
• page views;
• session activity; and
• interactions such as page scrolling.

We use this information to:

• understand which parts of the website are most useful;
• improve page content and website usability;
• identify technical issues;
• evaluate website performance; and
• understand how visitors find our website.

Google Analytics is not loaded until you accept analytics cookies.

Google Analytics may set the following first-party cookies:

Google confirms that these are the principal first-party cookies used by GA4, although browser restrictions may shorten their effective lifespan.

We currently use Google Analytics for website measurement and service improvement. We do not currently use it for behavioural advertising profiling through this website.

C. External booking and payment services

Our website may link you to external systems used to manage bookings, clinical documentation or payments.

These may include:

• Aestheticdocs;
• Stripe;
• Square; and
• Worldpay.

Cookies used on those external platforms are controlled by the relevant provider and may be governed by their own cookie and privacy policies.

Simply visiting our main website does not necessarily activate cookies from those services. Their technologies may be used when you follow a booking link, submit information through their platform or begin a payment process.

When you first visit our website, you will see a cookie banner giving you the option to:

• Accept analytics
• Reject analytics

Analytics cookies are not activated unless you choose Accept analytics.

Your preference is stored on your device so that it can be applied during future visits.

You can use the website even if you reject analytics cookies.

You may change your choice at any time by selecting Cookie Settings in the website footer.

From there, you may:

• accept analytics cookies;
• reject analytics cookies; or
• withdraw consent that you previously gave.

If you withdraw consent, we will prevent Google Analytics from loading on future visits and will attempt to remove existing Google Analytics cookies where technically possible.

Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing that took place before consent was withdrawn.

Users should be able to withdraw consent as easily as they gave it and change their cookie settings at any time.

You may also manage or delete cookies using your browser settings.

Most browsers allow you to:

• view cookies stored on your device;
• delete individual or all cookies;
• block cookies;
• restrict third-party cookies; and
• configure permissions for individual websites.

Please note that blocking strictly necessary technologies may affect website functionality.

Google Analytics is provided by Google.

Information collected through Google Analytics may be processed outside the United Kingdom. Where personal data is transferred internationally, the provider is responsible for applying appropriate safeguards in accordance with applicable data-protection law.

Further information about how Google uses data can be found in Google's privacy and analytics documentation.

At the date of this policy, our main website does not intentionally use:

• Meta Pixel;
• TikTok Pixel;
• Google Ads conversion cookies;
• Mailchimp tracking cookies;
• behavioural advertising cookies; or
• personalised advertising cookies.

If we add any of these technologies in future, we will update this policy and, where required, obtain consent before they are activated.

We periodically review the technologies used on our website to confirm:

• which cookies or similar technologies are present;
• their purpose;
• whether they are necessary;
• their storage duration;
• whether consent is required; and
• whether this policy remains accurate.

The ICO recommends maintaining a current cookie audit, identifying the purpose and duration of each technology, and regularly reviewing the setup.

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect:

• changes to our website;
• changes to the technologies we use;
• changes to our service providers; or
• changes in legal or regulatory requirements.

The latest version will always be published on this page.

Questions about our use of cookies or your privacy rights may be directed to: