Understanding AHPRA’s New Guidelines for Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedures
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), together with the National Boards, has introduced new guidelines for non-surgical cosmetic procedures, which take effect immediately.
These changes are aimed at enhancing patient safety, clarifying practitioner responsibilities, and ensuring ethical advertising practices across the healthcare industry — particularly for practices offering cosmetic dental or facial aesthetic services.
What’s Changing
AHPRA has released two distinct sets of guidelines to help practitioners better understand their obligations:
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Advertising Guidelines – for higher-risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures
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Performance Guidelines – for all non-surgical cosmetic procedures
Below is a summary of the key updates you should be aware of:
🔹 Predictive Tools
Automated apps, websites, or simulations must not be used in advertising to predict patient outcomes.
However, these tools may still be used within clinical consultations to support informed discussions between practitioners and patients.
🔹 Cooling-Off Periods
Patients under the age of 18 must be given a mandatory 7-day cooling-off period between their first consultation and any procedure.
🔹 Before & After Photos
Practices may continue to use before-and-after photos, but only if they are genuine, unedited, and meet strict AHPRA criteria.
🔹 Advertising Restrictions
Advertising directed at individuals under 18 years of age is prohibited for higher-risk procedures.
This includes the use of images of under-18s in promotional materials.
🔹 Financial Arrangements
Practices cannot promote or recommend financing schemes such as loans or third-party payment plans.
However, you may still inform patients about accepted payment methods (such as credit cards or buy-now-pay-later options) or offer installments directly through your practice.
🔹 Practitioner Registration Details
If an advertisement names an individual practitioner, it must include their full name and AHPRA registration number.
For example:
“Dr H (DEN000567890), Registered dentist, specialist registration in orthodontics.”
Where to Learn More
To help practitioners navigate these updates, AHPRA has published the full guidelines and additional resources:
AHPRA has also developed concise one-page “Dos and Don’ts” guides, which we recommend reviewing alongside the full documents.
How 20-80 Solutions Is Supporting Compliance
At 20-80 Solutions, we’re committed to helping our clients stay compliant while maintaining a strong online presence.
Our team will be:
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Auditing your website and digital content for any references to non-surgical cosmetic procedures
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Adding AHPRA-compliant disclaimers and practitioner details where necessary
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Updating or removing content such as before-and-after photos or predictive tools that may no longer meet compliance standards
These updates will be rolled out progressively over the coming weeks, and we’ll notify you once your website has been reviewed and updated.
Important Note
This article is intended for general awareness only and does not constitute legal advice.
We recommend reviewing the full guidelines and seeking independent advice if you have questions about how these regulations apply to your specific practice.