Cosmetic procedures are a booming multi-billion-dollar industry, hyped by social media influencers and offering everything from Botox to fat freezing.<\/p>\n
For years, nurses and dentists have been working in the sector without needing to do any formal additional education or training before injecting patients with substances like Botox.<\/p>\n
But now, new rules have come into place aimed at better protecting patients from unsafe procedures.<\/p>\n
So what does it mean for your next appointment? And what are the biggest takeaways from the changes that will affect you?<\/p>\n
Firstly, what are cosmetic injectables?<\/p>\n
In short, they’re non-surgical, minimally invasive cosmetic treatments.<\/p>\n
Dr Christopher Rudge described them as “prescription-only substances” like Botox injections and dermal fillers.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Botox is one of the most common injectables. (Pexels: Jonathan Borba)<\/p>\n
But Dr Rudge, deputy director of Sydney health law at the University of Sydney Law School, said the new rules also apply to a raft of other procedures.<\/p>\n
These include:<\/p>\n
Thread liftsLaser treatmentsBody contouringSo-called fat freezing treatmentsSkin procedures like dermabrasion and chemical peelsSclerotherapy (to treat unwanted veins)UV therapyHair transplantsWhat are the new rules for cosmetic injectables and other procedures?<\/p>\n
There are two sets of new guidelines released by the national regulator, known as the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).<\/p>\n
AHPRA said the changes, announced in June,<\/a> would help guarantee that patient welfare came before a business’s bottom line.<\/p>\n The first change, Dr Rudge explained, related to practitioner conduct, or “what happens inside the clinic”, such as additional training, informed consent and safety assessments.<\/p>\n The new rules include additional training for practitioners like nurses. (Supplied: Adobe Stock\/hedgehog94)<\/p>\n “You’ve got mandatory patient suitability screening. This is a crucial change that requires each patient who attends a clinic to be given a holistic or comprehensive assessment of their particular concerns relating to the treatment,” Dr Rudge said.<\/p>\n He said screening patients for underlying conditions, such as body dysmorphic disorder, allowed for a better understanding of their motivation for seeking treatment.<\/p>\n The new rules also introduce minimum periods of experience required for nurses wanting to work with injectables.<\/p>\n The other set of guidelines focused on advertising.<\/p>\n For example, restricting before-and-after images as well as strengthening the ban on the use of testimonials.<\/p>\n “It’s about what the public sees, and these are designed to stop misleading, trivialising and predatory marketing,” he said.<\/p>\n “Any images must be realistic and educational rather than entertainment or advertising. It’s quite a difficult boundary to police, but I think the clear message is that you would not be on good ground as a practitioner if you displayed before and after [images] online.”<\/p>\n Influencers under the spotlight<\/p>\n The guidelines also crack down on how social media influencers are used by practitioners.<\/p>\n “Practitioners can no longer hide behind social media influencers. If [the influencer] does the wrong thing, the practitioner is now responsible for that,” he said.<\/p>\n Influencers also aren’t allowed to receive any freebies or discounts in exchange for promoting a clinic.<\/p>\n Practitioners are responsible for how they include influencers as part of any advertising. (ABC News: Elise Pianegonda)<\/p>\n And if you’re under 18, there’s a mandatory seven-day cooling-off period between your first consultation and any procedures.<\/p>\n AHPRA CEO Justin Untersteiner said practitioners have had a few months to get on board with the rules, which came into effect this month.<\/p>\n ‘Practitioners have been warned. If we find practitioners prioritising profits over patient care, we will not hesitate to act,” he said.<\/p>\n What qualifications do you need to administer cosmetic injectables?<\/p>\n Procedures like Botox are prescription-only.<\/p>\n Medical doctors, as well as some nurses and dentists, can prescribe and administer cosmetic injectables.<\/p>\n But there have been cases of non-registered practitioners and clinics using off-brand or out-of-date dermal fillers and Botox, leading to multiple hospitalisations after patients became sick with botulism<\/a>.<\/p>\n AHPRA said between September 2022 and March 2025, it investigated 360 complaints related to non-surgical cosmetic procedures. These were related to a range of health professionals.<\/p>\n What do these new rules mean for people getting cosmetic injectables?<\/p>\n In short, the goal is to put patient safety before sales and social media hype.<\/p>\n “This is the first time that there have been specific sets of rules that apply to all registered health practitioners, not just doctors,” Dr Rudge said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n