Hong Kong – working group on medical beauty

Consumer protection of medical treatment beauty services in Hong Kong needs a new regulatory regime.

In Hong Kong, a working group on medical beauty treatment services has been set up by the Hong Kong government to investigate potential regulation of the medical beauty services industry.

This is due to safety concerns on procedures involving skin puncture, external application of energy, mechanical /chemical exfoliation of the skin, colon hydrotherapy, dental bleaching and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

The Consumer Council has long been concerned about medical beauty services and that consumers have little or no protection against scams or dangerous treatment.

There is a debate in the beauty and medical sectors about the term applied to the use of medical means, knowledge and technologies in performing beauty services. There are many practices that should only be performed by registered medical practitioners or registered dentists.

The lack of a legal definition for the term medical treatment worries the Hong Kong Medical Association as that might mean that anybody can perform anything legally provided he/she does not identify himself/herself as a medical doctor. The need and importance for a legal definition of medical treatment is critical.