New rules are being introduced for the cosmetic ‘injectables’ industry amid a national crackdown on the procedures.
Here’s what you need to know.
Background
The cosmetic industry has grown rapidly in Australia in recent years. Estimates show Australians spend over $1 billion a year on non-surgical cosmetic procedures, like Botox, thread lifts, and some laser skin treatments.
In the past 18 months, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) says there has been a significant increase in the number of complaints of serious harm
caused by cosmetic surgery.
It comes after an independent review last year found there are “no universal minimum standards for education and training in relation to cosmetic surgery”. This means there is “risk posed to consumers”.
The Medical Board of Australia (MBA) and Ahpra subsequently accepted the 16 recommendations made by the independent inquiry to improve industry standards.
New rules for injectables
Ahpra has now shared what the new guidelines will likely include. It says there will be new focuses on:
- Improving patient consent and pre-procedure consultation, including a patient suitability test.
- Clearer guidelines on who can prescribe and who can administer procedures.
- New advertising guidelines on the use of ‘before and after’ images and a ban on the use of testimonials.
- New rules on the use of influencers.
Personal stories
In its announcement of new guidelines, Ahpra shared details around some of its investigations into misconduct reported during non-surgical procedures.
This included instances of significant burns from a type of light treatment, infection leading to an abscess requiring surgery caused by cosmetic threading, and an adverse reaction to filler after a practitioner seemingly ignored a patient’s disclosed skin condition.
