Putting patients first: New guidelines for cosmetic procedures

02 Sep 2025

New safeguards target unsafe practice and misleading ads

Australians undergoing cosmetic procedures such as injections and fillers will have additional protections from today, as sweeping new guidelines come into effect across the cosmetics industry.

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) and National Boards have published the Guidelines for practitioners who perform non-surgical cosmetic procedures and the Guidelines for practitioners who advertise higher risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures strengthening safeguards across the industry.

Ahpra CEO Justin Untersteiner said practitioners have had since May to get their houses in order and make sure their practice and advertising complies with the new guidelines.

‘Practitioners have been warned. If we find practitioners prioritising profits over patient care, we will not hesitate to act. 

‘Patient safety must come first,’ Mr Untersteiner said.

Under the new guidelines, many practitioners will need more than just the foundational qualifications included in their initial training before they can safely perform non-surgical procedures like cosmetic injections. Nurses, for example, will be required to complete a set period of practice before expanding their scope to include non-surgical cosmetic procedures. 

Further training or education will be necessary for those practitioners wanting to expand their scope of practice. It is the responsibility of the individual practitioner undertaking any cosmetic procedure to ensure they are sufficiently educated to do so safely. 

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia Chair Adjunct Professor Veronica Casey AM said the guidelines are the robust response needed to safeguard consumers in the growing industry. 

‘A lot of people might think of these procedures in the same way they’d consider getting a facial or a haircut. But these are clinical procedures and require appropriate training and experience to be performed safely,’ Adjunct Professor Casey said. 

While cosmetic procedures remain out of scope for many practitioners, the guidelines will now apply to all regulated professions, futureproofing the system.

Focused on higher-risk procedures, the advertising changes:

• require advertisements only use real images and avoid airbrushing or editing that misleads the public
• require a warning that results may vary for other patients in advertisements using images, and
• strengthen the ban on the use of testimonials from social media influencers. 

There is also greater protection for young people, with those under the age of 18 considering non-surgical cosmetic procedures to have a mandatory seven-day cooling off period between their first consultation and any procedures, while advertising by practitioners aimed at under 18s will be banned.

Medical Board of Australia Chair, Dr Susan O'Dwyer, said the advertising changes would help shrink the gap between patients’ expectations and reality.

‘Unfortunately, exploitative advertising has increased as fast as patient demand. We have tightened the rules to support patients, so they can make safe and informed choices,’ Dr O’Dwyer said.

‘A filler is not a facial. These guidelines aim to educate patients about what is really involved in these procedures.’ 

Find out more:

• Ahpra cometic procedures hub