Regulation of health practitioners who perform and who advertise non-surgical cosmetic procedures
30 January 2024
The ALA has consistently advocated for reform of the legal and regulatory frameworks governing the performance and advertising of surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures (including botulinum toxin - Botox - and dermal fillers) with a view to providing clarity to health practitioners.
This is essential in order to ultimately protect the health and safety of the general public.
The ALA made a submission in January 2024 to Ahpra's public consultation on regulations for those performing and advertising non-surgical cosmetic procedures.
In June 2025, Ahpra released advanced copies of two sets of guidelines for the regulation of health practitioners who perform and who advertise non-surgical cosmetic procedures, both effective from 2 September 2025.
The Guidelines for registered health practitioners who perform non-surgical cosmetic procedures include that registered health practitioners who are changing their scope of practice to include cosmetic procedures are expected to undertake any training necessary to ensure they have the appropriate knowledge and competence; and that registered health practitioners must ensure any non-disclosure agreement they use makes clear that a person can still make a complaint to Ahpra, the Health Care Complaints Commission or equivalent state/territory bodies.
The Guidelines for advertising higher risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures include a ban on the use of testimonials; that registered health practitioners must ensure that full information about the risks and potential risks can be easily found within their advertising; and that advertising must not use automated apps, websites, tools or programs that predict an individual's appearance post-procedure or predict a person's appearance without a procedure.
These guidelines strengthen practitioner training requirements, clarify the use of NDAs and impose stricter advertising standards, including a ban on testimonials and predictive imaging tools.
ALA submission