17 June 2025
Ahpra is releasing guidelines applicable to all registered health practitioners who undertake cosmetic procedures. The Medical Radiation Board of Australia (MRPBA) is adopting these same guidelines for medical radiation practitioners.
Currently available on the Ahpra website as advance copies - a preview version which may still be amended - the guidelines come into effect on 2 September 2025.
In adopting the guidelines, the MRPBA acknowledged that medical radiation practitioners have not traditionally been involved in providing cosmetic services, saying:
"While [the MRPBA] is not currently aware of any practitioners performing or advertising cosmetic procedures, it acknowledges that such involvement is possible."
The guidelines build on existing responsibilities in the Code of Conduct and advise on how they apply to practitioners providing cosmetic procedures.
The MRPBA invites medical radiation practitioners to contact them with any queries or feedback.
According to Ahpra, non-surgical cosmetic procedures are procedures where the dominant purpose is to achieve what the person perceives to be a more desirable appearance. Procedures to revise or change the appearance, colour, texture, structure or position of bodily features or bodily tissue (such as teeth) for this purpose are cosmetic procedures.
Examples of cosmetic procedures include, but are not limited to, prescription only cosmetic injectables such as botulinum toxin and dermal fillers (also known as soft tissue fillers), fat dissolving injections, thread lifts, sclerotherapy and microsclerotherapy, CO2 laser skin resurfacing, cryolipolysis (fat freezing), laser hair removal, dermabrasion, chemical peels and hair transplants.
