In Puerto Rico, the comprehensive regulation of aesthetic services and IV therapy is currently under discussion. As a society, this debate should not surprise us. When a practice has a direct impact on people's health, safety, and dignity, the State has a responsibility to establish minimum standards for training, oversight, and accountability.
However, the issue goes far beyond aesthetics. What we are discussing today in aesthetic clinics will affect, or should affect, many other professions tomorrow that currently operate in a dangerous regulatory vacuum.
In countries like Spain and China, steps are already being taken to require influencers and content creators to have certified professional training in the subjects on which they offer recommendations, opinions, or advice. This isn't about censorship or limiting freedom of expression. It's about responsibility. It's about understanding that when someone influences decisions about consumption, health, finances, or reputation, their words have real consequences.
In Puerto Rico we still resist that debate.
Today, anyone can call themselves a “specialist,” “strategist,” “consultant,” or “coach” without formal training, certifications, verifiable experience, and, most worryingly, without assuming any responsibility for the harm they may cause. This is not innovation. It is institutionalized misinformation.
In the case of digital marketing, the consequences are not abstract. A poorly executed strategy can destroy a brand's reputation, cause significant financial losses, affect job stability, and jeopardize years of business development. Even so, there is no framework to protect the retailer, SME, or organization that contracts these services.
Regulation doesn't mean bureaucratization or closing doors. It means establishing a minimum standard of professional competence. Just as we require licenses to practice medicine or engineering, we should require certified training for all service professionals who directly impact the economy, health, or reputation of others.
The argument that “the market regulates itself” no longer holds water. The market doesn't repair reputational damage. It doesn't recoup wasted investments. It doesn't repair the loss of trust from a customer or a community. When misinformation goes viral, the damage is immediate and, often, irreversible.
Furthermore, the lack of regulation creates profound unfair competition. Professionals with years of academic training, certifications, ongoing investment in continuing education, and proven experience compete on unequal terms with individuals offering services lacking technical knowledge, at artificially low prices, and with unrealistic promises. The result is a degraded ecosystem where the loudest voice wins, not the best prepared.
The regulation of aesthetic services opens an important door: recognizing that not everything can operate under the logic of "anyone can do it." This same reasoning should be extended to other areas where the harm is not always physical, but rather economic, emotional, and structural.
This isn't about elitism. It's about professional ethics.
A modern regulatory framework can coexist with innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship. It can establish recognized certifications, continuing education, codes of conduct, and reasonable oversight mechanisms. It can protect consumers without stifling serious professionals. It can raise the quality of services without hindering economic development.
Puerto Rico needs to take this step with maturity. We cannot continue to normalize improvisation as a business model or misinformation as a growth strategy. Regulation means acknowledging that professional work has value, that preparation matters, and that the public's trust deserves to be protected.
The question isn't whether we should regulate more professions. The real question is: how much more harm are we willing to tolerate before we do?