June 3, 2025 • 17 mins
The growing popularity of cosmetic procedures like injectables and fillers has sparked growing concerns about patient safety, regulation, and the responsibilities of practitioners. From September, new national guidelines will impose tighter rules on who can perform these procedures, how they’re advertised, and what protections are in place for people under 18. In today’s episode, we'll unpack what’s changing and why.
Hosts: Emma Gillespie and Sam Koslowski
Producer: Orla Maher
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Already and this is the Daily This is the Daily OS.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Oh, now it makes sense.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Good morning and welcome to the Daily OS. It's Wednesday,
the fourth of June. I'm Emma Gillespie.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
I'm Sam Kazlowski.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
The growing popularity of cosmetic procedures like injectables and fillers
has sparked growing concerns about patient safety, regulation and.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
The responsibilities of practitioners.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
This week, health regulators have actually released a sweeping set
of reforms aimed at tightening the rules around these procedures.
So in today's deep dive, we're going to explore what
these new guidelines say, who they'll affect, and what they
mean for anyone considering a cosmetic procedure as well as
anyone administering one.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
M Cosmetic procedures are huge business in Australia right now,
It's nothing new. I feel like they've been around for
decades in its current form. But give me a sense
of the backdrop that we're talking about today.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Yeah, you're right that these kinds of procedures have existed
for decades, but the industry as a whole has really
grown quite rapidly in popularity over recent years, to the
point that we are now talking about a billion dollar industry.
Now that's according to estimates by the Australian Health Practitioner
Regulation Agency APRA, So they put the dollar value of
(01:28):
this industry at a billion dollars.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
And let's be really clear on what exactly we're talking
about when we're talking about cosmetic procedures. We're not talking
about getting your nails done right exactly. Sorry, I know,
I know that's silly, but question here, question, I'm kind
of new to this industry, so I'm kin to understand
exactly what you mean here exactly. Well.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
APRA's definition of cosmetic procedures is pretty broad. It defines
cosmetic procedures as ones that quote revise or change the appearance, color,
textra structure, or position of normal bodily features to achieve
what a patient perceives to be a more desirable appearance.
But narrowing down on that a little bit, this broad
term can include everything from surgical to non surgical options.
(02:11):
But specifically today we're going to talk more about non
surgical procedures, so things like filler anti wrinkle injections Botox.
Botox is a brand of anti renkal injections, some laser
skin treatments anything that falls under that umbrella.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
It's interesting how that definition incorporates the why behind the treatment.
So somebody trying to achieve a more desirable appearance, because
I know people who get botox for injuries that they've
had or post surgical stuff for disability.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
There are some medical reasons why people will access botox
for non esthetic purposes, I suppose, And those procedures are
subject to different regulations.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
And this space, though, is cosmetic, So who's responsible then
for that space?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
So this is regulated this space by.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
That regulation agency OPRA I mentioned and the National Boards
APRA is tasked with ensuring registered health practitioners basically have
appropriate training, that they have the qualifications to practice, and
that all of that aligns with prioritizing patient safety. And
that is the body that's just released new national guidelines
(03:20):
that will apply to all registered health practitioners performing as
well as advertising these non surgical cosmetic procedures.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
And do you think there's been a trigger for these
new guidelines to be released or is it more of
an accumulation of bad behavior in the industry.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Yeah, it's been.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
A movement that's been kind of a few years in
the making. There was an independent review a couple of
years ago which brought some concerning practices to light, and
I think there is concern overall from the regulator that
non surgical cosmetic procedures are still risky procedures, but that
maybe they're being minimized or downplayed by some providers.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Over the past few years, more.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Complaints have been lodged with concerns around unqualified or undertrained
people offering these services. And until now, some professions have
had more specific rules than others, like doctors under the
Medical Board are subject to different frameworks and regulations than
nurse practitioners, for example, But now APRA is saying that
(04:23):
it wants to standardize these processes to avoid confusion, so
the same rules apply right across the board when we're
talking about non surgical cosmetic procedures.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
And as with any industry, I think it's probably important
to say that most people who would work in this
space are well meaning people who follow the rules and
have patient care at the heart of their practice. But also,
as with most industries, there's people who don't do that.
Do we have a sense of the scale of the
complaints that are being issued from that sector or the
damage that's being done.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
So between late twenty twenty two and early twenty twenty five,
APRA looked into about three hundred and sixty complaints related
to these types of cosmetic procedures. Most of those complaints
are now closed, but the concerns raised ranged from a
lack of training from providers to poor patient outcomes. And
(05:12):
these complaints didn't discriminate across professions. We had complaints about doctors, nurses, dentists,
even psychologists, Chinese medicine practitioners. So the narrative from those
complaints speaks to broader gaps in care across the board.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
So there's this gap and care in the non surgical
cosmetic industry. Some new guidelines come into play. What exactly
are those guidelines aiming to change.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Well, there are a few new rules that are really
interesting that I wanted to talk through today. But one
of the first ones that stands out is changes around
the training of staff and minimum requirements so approcalls this
practitioner's scope of practice and basically in the past or
up until now, just because someone has a general health qualification,
(06:00):
so for example, as a nurse or as a dentist,
that can no longer automatically mean that they are qualified
to perform cosmetic procedures. So from the second of September,
in just under three months time, practitioners will need additional
training or education if they want to safely expand into
the cosmetic procedure space. So it can no longer just
(06:22):
be that you are a qualified nurse who decides you
want to expand your business and dabble in injectibles. You
will have to undertake more training. On that example of nurses,
there'll be a certain period of clinical experience required before
they can begin offering non surgical cosmetic procedures. The regulator
says this reform is also about future proofing the industry,
(06:45):
so it warns that maybe some practitioners have been drawn
to non cosmetic procedures because it's a very lucrative industry. Interesting,
so these new protections, it said, highlight that many practitioners
need more than just the foundational qualifications in included in
their initial training before they can safely perform these procedures
like cosmetic injections, and trying to get people away from
(07:08):
that financial motivation to work in this space.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
We'll be right back after a quick message from our sponsor.
Now one thing that really stood out to me in
these guidelines was how specific the protections were for young people.
What's changing there?
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Yeah, this is really interesting.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
There are two big things to talk about. Firstly, any
advertising of these procedures aimed at under eighteen year olds
will be completely banned.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
So right now you can advertise cosmetic procedures to under eighteens.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Well, it's a gray area I suppose about who an
AD is targeted towards, but there are stronger protections that
say a vague AD could be seen by under eighteen
year olds and that that's therefore inappropriate, so clamping down
on that. And secondly, if a child or teen does
want an underage cosmetic procedure, there'll now be a mandatory
(08:02):
seven day cooling off period between their first consultation and
actually getting the treatment, and so this is aimed at
preventing impulsive decision making. Regulators say they want to reduce
pressure on young people to rush into cosmetic work, particularly
considering the added pressures of social media.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
But just to clarify there, we're still saying that under
eighteens can access cosmetic procedures.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Well, the jury is kind of out on that one,
because I took a closer look at the copy of
these new guidelines for registered health practitioners. They come into
effect in September, and there's a dedicated section to additional
responsibilities around providing these nonsurgical procedures for under eighteen year olds,
which says practitioners have a responsibility to assess a patient's
(08:47):
capacity to consent to a procedure, so there has to
be an evaluation there. It also says registered health practitioners
should have regard for the views of a parent or
guardian of a person under eighteen, including whether or not
they support the procedure being performed. But the regulator does
not endorse prescribing botox or similar injections, dermal fillers things
(09:10):
like that for cosmetic purposes for any under eighteen year olds,
and eligibility can only be assessed by registered nurses or
nurse practitioners. Now they must quote, know and comply with
relevant legislation of the jurisdiction in which they're practicing in
in terms of any restrictions on cosmetic procedures for under
eighteen year olds.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
So I'm kind of guessing here, but I assume then
that an update on those guidelines and those jurisdictional rules
would be part of this added qualification that medical professionals
would need to be able to perform the procedures. But
there's many jurisdictions in Australia and that would also be confusing.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Yeah, it is a gray area and it really depends
on what the procedure is and where the procedure would
be taking place. There's actually an interesting report by the
Royal Australian College of General Practition on this that points
to concerns about the ethics and the practice of children
undergoing cosmetic procedures. It says that Australia blacks reliable data
(10:09):
on this issue and the prevalence of these procedures on children,
but it points to concerns around kind of these high
rates that we are hearing about of body image dissatisfaction
and how that could be driving more young people to
these procedures. But nationally, the Australian Medical Association's position is
that patients under eighteen years old should not have procedures
(10:30):
to modify or enhance physical appearance unless it is in
their medical and or psychological interests. New South Wales guidelines
advise a longer cooling off period, so they advise a
three month cooling off period between the initial consult and
a procedure on an under eighteen year old, and that
goes well beyond APRA's new mandatory seven day cooling off period.
(10:54):
But Queensland is the only state that's actually legislated a
ban on performing a cosmetic procedure child that was introduced
in two thousand and eight. Everywhere else, it's kind of
up to the practitioner. There are steps that they have
to take, but actually enforcing any of these kind of
rules is a little bit murky.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
And I'm really interested in this advertising band that you
spoke about because it brings in the whole other discussion
that I know you've been very involved with for most
of this year around the way that social media is
used to influence the way that young people especially think
about their bodies. Yeah, can you tell me a little
bit about how this framework changes what's happening there.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
Yes, So social media has become such a big part
of how these procedures are marketed. We know that young
people are on social media, so they're the people seeing
these messages. As I flagged, any advertising targeting under eighteen
year olds will be banned in the non surgical cosmetic
procedure space. But there are some other pretty comprehensive reforms
that will change how advertising works for high risk procedures.
(11:54):
Now most injectibles are included under that category. So, for example,
ads will have to contain information about the practitioner performing
the procedure so patients know who they're engaging with. And
there are measures to strengthen a ban on the use
of testimonials from social media influences. And there's also a
ban on ads that sexualize or trivialize cosmetic procedures.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
What exactly does that mean.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
It means anything that minimizes the invasiveness of cosmetic procedures
or misleads patients about how complex a procedure might be.
It is worth pointing out when I say advertising here,
this can include any kind of social media post. So
a practice could post about a procedure that they offer
that is, under these guidelines considered a form of advertising.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
I feel like the thing that comes to mind is
the classic kind of before and.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
After exactly, and they will be changing under these regulations,
So any advertising, all those kinds of posts that include
things like emojis won't be allowed. Words like transformation, artistry, perfect,
silhouette sculpting. They're all inappropriate for advertising, and other terms
that minimize procedures like gentle, simple, safe, quick, easy. They
(13:08):
appro say detract from the seriousness of a procedure, so
they will also be banned.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
So there's some pretty sweeping reforms that we've talked about,
but this isn't the first time that this space has
had regulation. Give me a sense of what those other
regulations are, yees.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
So I mentioned earlier.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
There was a review in twenty twenty three, and this
crackdown is really building on that. APRA shared at the
time some pretty serious case studies, including the story of
a patient who suffered severe burns from a light based treatment,
another who developed an abscess after a threading procedure gone wrong,
and in one case, a practitioner ignored a patient's skin
(13:45):
condition and went ahead with filler and that injectable led
to a serious reaction. The regulator said at the time
these are not isolated events. They really represent a broader
pattern of shortcomings within the industry. So that review found
there was no universal minimum standard of education or training,
and experts warn that was leaving patients at risk, and
(14:07):
in response, the Medical Board and OPERA accepted sixteen major
recommendations to improve patient.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Safety and those are in place now yep.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
So essentially in the area of injectibles, those regulations have
been rolled out, but clearly there is more to be done,
which is why we've seen these new rules. But back
in twenty twenty three, there were new rules about consent consultations.
You might remember headlines at the time about psychological evaluations,
tightening who can prescribe and administer procedures, and that was
(14:37):
the start of a ban on testimonials from influencers, a
clamp down on influencer marketing, and these reforms are really
an evolution of those changes.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
So we have a reaction from industry bodies here.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
Yeah, we've heard from the Australasian Society of Esthetic Plastic
Surgeons ASAPS. That's a peak industry body and it's welcomed
the call by OPRA to require better education, training and
ongoing education for non surgical cosmetic practice. It says regulations
haven't kept pace with the popularity of the procedures. But
(15:10):
in addition to clinical safety, the body says there should
also be greater attention on ethical practice, with a focus
on patient interest over commercial profits.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Interesting, there's a lot in that sentence exactly.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
It's a big, big sentence.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
These new guidelines now stipulate that additional training that we've
talked through. But ASAPS, this body says that there's no
minimum quality standard for providers ongoing professional development and education
and no plan for enforcement.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
So it's all very well and good having an education requirement,
there's no guidelines that this body is saying as to
who's teaching that and how it's being enforced.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
Exactly, So more to be done, according to ASAPS. Meanwhile,
the Medical Board of Australia chair doctor Susan O'Dwyer said, quote,
these guidelines make sure we're all working from similar playbooks
for the safety of our patients.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Said. These regulations come into force in early September. What
else happens next?
Speaker 3 (16:05):
Practitioners have three months to get themselves sorted, be that
advertisers or healthcare providers. The guidelines are online now, so
stakeholders essentially have the three months to get ready, update processes,
get qualified or retrain their staff if needed. For consumers,
especially younger Australians, you know, nothing will really change dramatically,
(16:28):
but there is a stronger safety net in place. Essentially,
that is what the regulator says. These rules don't stop
cosmetic work from happening, but they shine a spotlight on
ethics and safety and informed decision making. And I'm sure
it's not the last we're going to hear about regulation
in this space.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
It has been an interesting space to watch over the
years because there seems to be quite a steady flow
of regulation that has been rolled out. It hasn't been
this kind of sense of sweeping regulation that turns the
entire industry on its head, rather kind of tweaks along
the way to what is the livelihood for a lot
of people, but also putting a lot of people at
risk should it be done incorrectly.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
And so often in medicine, I think we see the
popularity come first and the regulations come second.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
And thank you so much for that, And thank you
for joining us on the Daily OS this morning. If
you're catching us on YouTube, it's so great to have
you here. It would mean a lot if you subscribed
to our channel. We'll be back in the afternoon with
your headlines. Until then, have a great date. My name
is Lily Maddon and I'm a proud Arunda Bunjelung Kalkutin
(17:33):
woman from Gadighl country. The Daily oz acknowledges that this
podcast is recorded on the lands of the Gadighl people
and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait island
and nations.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
We pay our respects to the first peoples of these countries,
both past and present.
Already and this is the Daily This is the Daily OS.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Oh, now it makes sense.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Good morning and welcome to the Daily OS. It's Wednesday,
the fourth of June. I'm Emma Gillespie.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
I'm Sam Kazlowski.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
The growing popularity of cosmetic procedures like injectables and fillers
has sparked growing concerns about patient safety, regulation and.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
The responsibilities of practitioners.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
This week, health regulators have actually released a sweeping set
of reforms aimed at tightening the rules around these procedures.
So in today's deep dive, we're going to explore what
these new guidelines say, who they'll affect, and what they
mean for anyone considering a cosmetic procedure as well as
anyone administering one.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
M Cosmetic procedures are huge business in Australia right now,
It's nothing new. I feel like they've been around for
decades in its current form. But give me a sense
of the backdrop that we're talking about today.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Yeah, you're right that these kinds of procedures have existed
for decades, but the industry as a whole has really
grown quite rapidly in popularity over recent years, to the
point that we are now talking about a billion dollar industry.
Now that's according to estimates by the Australian Health Practitioner
Regulation Agency APRA, So they put the dollar value of
(01:28):
this industry at a billion dollars.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
And let's be really clear on what exactly we're talking
about when we're talking about cosmetic procedures. We're not talking
about getting your nails done right exactly. Sorry, I know,
I know that's silly, but question here, question, I'm kind
of new to this industry, so I'm kin to understand
exactly what you mean here exactly. Well.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
APRA's definition of cosmetic procedures is pretty broad. It defines
cosmetic procedures as ones that quote revise or change the appearance, color,
textra structure, or position of normal bodily features to achieve
what a patient perceives to be a more desirable appearance.
But narrowing down on that a little bit, this broad
term can include everything from surgical to non surgical options.
(02:11):
But specifically today we're going to talk more about non
surgical procedures, so things like filler anti wrinkle injections Botox.
Botox is a brand of anti renkal injections, some laser
skin treatments anything that falls under that umbrella.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
It's interesting how that definition incorporates the why behind the treatment.
So somebody trying to achieve a more desirable appearance, because
I know people who get botox for injuries that they've
had or post surgical stuff for disability.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
There are some medical reasons why people will access botox
for non esthetic purposes, I suppose, And those procedures are
subject to different regulations.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
And this space, though, is cosmetic, So who's responsible then
for that space?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
So this is regulated this space by.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
That regulation agency OPRA I mentioned and the National Boards
APRA is tasked with ensuring registered health practitioners basically have
appropriate training, that they have the qualifications to practice, and
that all of that aligns with prioritizing patient safety. And
that is the body that's just released new national guidelines
(03:20):
that will apply to all registered health practitioners performing as
well as advertising these non surgical cosmetic procedures.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
And do you think there's been a trigger for these
new guidelines to be released or is it more of
an accumulation of bad behavior in the industry.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Yeah, it's been.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
A movement that's been kind of a few years in
the making. There was an independent review a couple of
years ago which brought some concerning practices to light, and
I think there is concern overall from the regulator that
non surgical cosmetic procedures are still risky procedures, but that
maybe they're being minimized or downplayed by some providers.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Over the past few years, more.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Complaints have been lodged with concerns around unqualified or undertrained
people offering these services. And until now, some professions have
had more specific rules than others, like doctors under the
Medical Board are subject to different frameworks and regulations than
nurse practitioners, for example, But now APRA is saying that
(04:23):
it wants to standardize these processes to avoid confusion, so
the same rules apply right across the board when we're
talking about non surgical cosmetic procedures.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
And as with any industry, I think it's probably important
to say that most people who would work in this
space are well meaning people who follow the rules and
have patient care at the heart of their practice. But also,
as with most industries, there's people who don't do that.
Do we have a sense of the scale of the
complaints that are being issued from that sector or the
damage that's being done.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
So between late twenty twenty two and early twenty twenty five,
APRA looked into about three hundred and sixty complaints related
to these types of cosmetic procedures. Most of those complaints
are now closed, but the concerns raised ranged from a
lack of training from providers to poor patient outcomes. And
(05:12):
these complaints didn't discriminate across professions. We had complaints about doctors, nurses, dentists,
even psychologists, Chinese medicine practitioners. So the narrative from those
complaints speaks to broader gaps in care across the board.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
So there's this gap and care in the non surgical
cosmetic industry. Some new guidelines come into play. What exactly
are those guidelines aiming to change.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Well, there are a few new rules that are really
interesting that I wanted to talk through today. But one
of the first ones that stands out is changes around
the training of staff and minimum requirements so approcalls this
practitioner's scope of practice and basically in the past or
up until now, just because someone has a general health qualification,
(06:00):
so for example, as a nurse or as a dentist,
that can no longer automatically mean that they are qualified
to perform cosmetic procedures. So from the second of September,
in just under three months time, practitioners will need additional
training or education if they want to safely expand into
the cosmetic procedure space. So it can no longer just
(06:22):
be that you are a qualified nurse who decides you
want to expand your business and dabble in injectibles. You
will have to undertake more training. On that example of nurses,
there'll be a certain period of clinical experience required before
they can begin offering non surgical cosmetic procedures. The regulator
says this reform is also about future proofing the industry,
(06:45):
so it warns that maybe some practitioners have been drawn
to non cosmetic procedures because it's a very lucrative industry. Interesting,
so these new protections, it said, highlight that many practitioners
need more than just the foundational qualifications in included in
their initial training before they can safely perform these procedures
like cosmetic injections, and trying to get people away from
(07:08):
that financial motivation to work in this space.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
We'll be right back after a quick message from our sponsor.
Now one thing that really stood out to me in
these guidelines was how specific the protections were for young people.
What's changing there?
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Yeah, this is really interesting.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
There are two big things to talk about. Firstly, any
advertising of these procedures aimed at under eighteen year olds
will be completely banned.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
So right now you can advertise cosmetic procedures to under eighteens.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Well, it's a gray area I suppose about who an
AD is targeted towards, but there are stronger protections that
say a vague AD could be seen by under eighteen
year olds and that that's therefore inappropriate, so clamping down
on that. And secondly, if a child or teen does
want an underage cosmetic procedure, there'll now be a mandatory
(08:02):
seven day cooling off period between their first consultation and
actually getting the treatment, and so this is aimed at
preventing impulsive decision making. Regulators say they want to reduce
pressure on young people to rush into cosmetic work, particularly
considering the added pressures of social media.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
But just to clarify there, we're still saying that under
eighteens can access cosmetic procedures.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Well, the jury is kind of out on that one,
because I took a closer look at the copy of
these new guidelines for registered health practitioners. They come into
effect in September, and there's a dedicated section to additional
responsibilities around providing these nonsurgical procedures for under eighteen year olds,
which says practitioners have a responsibility to assess a patient's
(08:47):
capacity to consent to a procedure, so there has to
be an evaluation there. It also says registered health practitioners
should have regard for the views of a parent or
guardian of a person under eighteen, including whether or not
they support the procedure being performed. But the regulator does
not endorse prescribing botox or similar injections, dermal fillers things
(09:10):
like that for cosmetic purposes for any under eighteen year olds,
and eligibility can only be assessed by registered nurses or
nurse practitioners. Now they must quote, know and comply with
relevant legislation of the jurisdiction in which they're practicing in
in terms of any restrictions on cosmetic procedures for under
eighteen year olds.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
So I'm kind of guessing here, but I assume then
that an update on those guidelines and those jurisdictional rules
would be part of this added qualification that medical professionals
would need to be able to perform the procedures. But
there's many jurisdictions in Australia and that would also be confusing.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Yeah, it is a gray area and it really depends
on what the procedure is and where the procedure would
be taking place. There's actually an interesting report by the
Royal Australian College of General Practition on this that points
to concerns about the ethics and the practice of children
undergoing cosmetic procedures. It says that Australia blacks reliable data
(10:09):
on this issue and the prevalence of these procedures on children,
but it points to concerns around kind of these high
rates that we are hearing about of body image dissatisfaction
and how that could be driving more young people to
these procedures. But nationally, the Australian Medical Association's position is
that patients under eighteen years old should not have procedures
(10:30):
to modify or enhance physical appearance unless it is in
their medical and or psychological interests. New South Wales guidelines
advise a longer cooling off period, so they advise a
three month cooling off period between the initial consult and
a procedure on an under eighteen year old, and that
goes well beyond APRA's new mandatory seven day cooling off period.
(10:54):
But Queensland is the only state that's actually legislated a
ban on performing a cosmetic procedure child that was introduced
in two thousand and eight. Everywhere else, it's kind of
up to the practitioner. There are steps that they have
to take, but actually enforcing any of these kind of
rules is a little bit murky.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
And I'm really interested in this advertising band that you
spoke about because it brings in the whole other discussion
that I know you've been very involved with for most
of this year around the way that social media is
used to influence the way that young people especially think
about their bodies. Yeah, can you tell me a little
bit about how this framework changes what's happening there.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
Yes, So social media has become such a big part
of how these procedures are marketed. We know that young
people are on social media, so they're the people seeing
these messages. As I flagged, any advertising targeting under eighteen
year olds will be banned in the non surgical cosmetic
procedure space. But there are some other pretty comprehensive reforms
that will change how advertising works for high risk procedures.
(11:54):
Now most injectibles are included under that category. So, for example,
ads will have to contain information about the practitioner performing
the procedure so patients know who they're engaging with. And
there are measures to strengthen a ban on the use
of testimonials from social media influences. And there's also a
ban on ads that sexualize or trivialize cosmetic procedures.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
What exactly does that mean.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
It means anything that minimizes the invasiveness of cosmetic procedures
or misleads patients about how complex a procedure might be.
It is worth pointing out when I say advertising here,
this can include any kind of social media post. So
a practice could post about a procedure that they offer
that is, under these guidelines considered a form of advertising.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
I feel like the thing that comes to mind is
the classic kind of before and.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
After exactly, and they will be changing under these regulations,
So any advertising, all those kinds of posts that include
things like emojis won't be allowed. Words like transformation, artistry, perfect,
silhouette sculpting. They're all inappropriate for advertising, and other terms
that minimize procedures like gentle, simple, safe, quick, easy. They
(13:08):
appro say detract from the seriousness of a procedure, so
they will also be banned.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
So there's some pretty sweeping reforms that we've talked about,
but this isn't the first time that this space has
had regulation. Give me a sense of what those other
regulations are, yees.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
So I mentioned earlier.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
There was a review in twenty twenty three, and this
crackdown is really building on that. APRA shared at the
time some pretty serious case studies, including the story of
a patient who suffered severe burns from a light based treatment,
another who developed an abscess after a threading procedure gone wrong,
and in one case, a practitioner ignored a patient's skin
(13:45):
condition and went ahead with filler and that injectable led
to a serious reaction. The regulator said at the time
these are not isolated events. They really represent a broader
pattern of shortcomings within the industry. So that review found
there was no universal minimum standard of education or training,
and experts warn that was leaving patients at risk, and
(14:07):
in response, the Medical Board and OPERA accepted sixteen major
recommendations to improve patient.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Safety and those are in place now yep.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
So essentially in the area of injectibles, those regulations have
been rolled out, but clearly there is more to be done,
which is why we've seen these new rules. But back
in twenty twenty three, there were new rules about consent consultations.
You might remember headlines at the time about psychological evaluations,
tightening who can prescribe and administer procedures, and that was
(14:37):
the start of a ban on testimonials from influencers, a
clamp down on influencer marketing, and these reforms are really
an evolution of those changes.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
So we have a reaction from industry bodies here.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
Yeah, we've heard from the Australasian Society of Esthetic Plastic
Surgeons ASAPS. That's a peak industry body and it's welcomed
the call by OPRA to require better education, training and
ongoing education for non surgical cosmetic practice. It says regulations
haven't kept pace with the popularity of the procedures. But
(15:10):
in addition to clinical safety, the body says there should
also be greater attention on ethical practice, with a focus
on patient interest over commercial profits.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Interesting, there's a lot in that sentence exactly.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
It's a big, big sentence.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
These new guidelines now stipulate that additional training that we've
talked through. But ASAPS, this body says that there's no
minimum quality standard for providers ongoing professional development and education
and no plan for enforcement.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
So it's all very well and good having an education requirement,
there's no guidelines that this body is saying as to
who's teaching that and how it's being enforced.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
Exactly, So more to be done, according to ASAPS. Meanwhile,
the Medical Board of Australia chair doctor Susan O'Dwyer said, quote,
these guidelines make sure we're all working from similar playbooks
for the safety of our patients.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Said. These regulations come into force in early September. What
else happens next?
Speaker 3 (16:05):
Practitioners have three months to get themselves sorted, be that
advertisers or healthcare providers. The guidelines are online now, so
stakeholders essentially have the three months to get ready, update processes,
get qualified or retrain their staff if needed. For consumers,
especially younger Australians, you know, nothing will really change dramatically,
(16:28):
but there is a stronger safety net in place. Essentially,
that is what the regulator says. These rules don't stop
cosmetic work from happening, but they shine a spotlight on
ethics and safety and informed decision making. And I'm sure
it's not the last we're going to hear about regulation
in this space.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
It has been an interesting space to watch over the
years because there seems to be quite a steady flow
of regulation that has been rolled out. It hasn't been
this kind of sense of sweeping regulation that turns the
entire industry on its head, rather kind of tweaks along
the way to what is the livelihood for a lot
of people, but also putting a lot of people at
risk should it be done incorrectly.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
And so often in medicine, I think we see the
popularity come first and the regulations come second.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
And thank you so much for that, And thank you
for joining us on the Daily OS this morning. If
you're catching us on YouTube, it's so great to have
you here. It would mean a lot if you subscribed
to our channel. We'll be back in the afternoon with
your headlines. Until then, have a great date. My name
is Lily Maddon and I'm a proud Arunda Bunjelung Kalkutin
(17:33):
woman from Gadighl country. The Daily oz acknowledges that this
podcast is recorded on the lands of the Gadighl people
and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait island
and nations.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
We pay our respects to the first peoples of these countries,
both past and present.
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