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People seeking non-surgical cosmetic procedures are being advised to check the qualifications and training of the person treating them, amid increasing concerns over botched work.
The demand for non-surgical procedures has exploded in recent years, with many places promising to improve appearance without the need for surgery.
This month the Medical Council announced new standards expected of doctors who perform surgical and some non-surgical cosmetic procedures, but they only apply to doctors and don't relate to the wider beauty industry.
The non-surgical cosmetic industry in New Zealand is self-regulated.
Caci Medispa co-founder and cosmetic nurse specialist Jackie Smith said it had strict rules surrounding who carried out treatments, but the standards were self-imposed.
"We have extensive training for all the people that work within our organisation, but many smaller organisations don't necessarily have the benefit of that kind of training. We often do see people that have come to us from other smaller beauty therapists or that kind of thing that have had a problem with a procedure ... I've seen people who have come to us with significant burns."
She said Caci botox and dermal filler treatments were carried out by doctors or nurses. The minimum requirement needed to work at the company was a beauty therapy qualification, but that wasn't necessarily the case everywhere.
"[In other places] it's most likely you would get at least a beauty therapist but there's no regulation to control that ... that's not to say there's not some fantastic beauty therapists out there who are extremely knowledgeable."
She said customers should always check the qualifications and experience of the person treating them. "Some things are more important than others. A facial isn't likely to cause too much of a problem. But if you are getting something like electrolysis you want to know that the person knows exactly what they are doing. Even leg-waxing ... there are certain standards of hygiene you want to know are adhered to."
Debra's Skin Care Centre in Takapuna, which specialises in advanced skin treatments, has seen a big change in the type of procedures carried out.
Manager Leanne Parton said treatments had become more high-tech over the years and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) skin rejuvenation treatments had become particularly popular during the last few years.
She said beauty therapists using IPL machines at Debra's, including herself, had undergone specialist training at the Fleming Institute in Melbourne. But she warned there were some beauty therapists out there using the machines who might not be adequately trained.
She said there needed to be government regulation around who could operate such machines.
"Therapists who haven't been trained correctly will damage the reputation of therapists who have."
The Association of Beauty Therapists of New Zealand recommends customers visit beauty salons staffed by association members to ensure they are being treated by a qualified beauty therapist. President Judy West said most beauty therapists belonged to the association and were bound by a code of practice.
She said the association didn't receive a lot of complaints. "Our beauty therapists are very professional, we've got a very high level of professionalism in this industry."
The Ministry of Health said it had no plans to introduce regulations surrounding non-surgical cosmetic procedures.
"It seems to work fairly well at the moment ... if it was a worry I imagine they would start to look at it," said a spokesman.
If a machine was considered a medical device it was required to be regulated, but not necessarily the person using it, he said.
Skin Institute director and dermatologist Dr Mark Gray said he had seen the consequences of botched procedures, particularly IPL treatments. "Often when problems arise the people running these clinics don't have the expertise to look after the problems so they tend to come to us or other medical staff and we have to pick up the pieces," said Dr Gray, who is also a fellow of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery.
"I don't have a major issue at all with a number of procedures being done by beauty therapists, whether they're peels or hair removal, but what we need to see is appropriate training, especially if they are using devices."
If a customer is harmed during a non-surgical cosmetic procedure they can go to the Health and Disability Commissioner, who will look at each complaint on a case by case basis.
Skin deep
* Intense Pulsed Light treatment (improves overall appearance of skin): Full face - $500 for 30-minute treatment (IPL is similar to a laser but uses light). Can also be used for hair removal
* Microdermabrasion (fine crystals and suction is used to even skin tone): $110 for 30-minute treatment or $550 for a six-course treatment
