But beauty parlours, which use lasers, are not required to provide information
The Department of Health yesterday launched a website for suppliers and practitioners to voluntarily list their medical instruments - but it was immediately criticised for not making it mandatory for beauty parlours to provide information.
The Consumer Council's deputy chief executive Connie Lau Yin-hing said the government had taken a step to protect consumers but the result was still disappointing.
While most devices covered by the site will only be used by medical practitioners who are professionally qualified, most concerns focus on the use of lasers for facial treatment and hair removal.
There are no laws regulating their use in beauty parlours and no guarantees are required about the safety of the machines and the qualifications of operators.
'Laser machines are now widely used in the beauty industry,' Ms Lau said.