Better standards needed for Hong Kong beauty and cosmetic industries

Poets and philosophers have long pondered the nature of beauty. Now medical politicians aspire to enter the discussion with a proposal to explore more regulation of the "beauty" industry. The problem is that there is no clear understanding of what does and what does not constitute a "beauty" treatment. Indeed, is it possible to distinguish between a health therapy, a beauty treatment and a cosmetic procedure?

No review of the beauty industry can take place without a review of the cosmetic industry. While major players in the cosmetic industry are more likely to be members of the medical profession, major players in the beauty industry are more likely not to be. And yet there is a symbiotic relationship between the two, with areas of overlap that constitute a troubling "grey" zone.

Ultimately, when a member of the public, be they a client or a patient, seeks a service from either the beauty or the cosmetic industry, they have an absolute expectation that the provider of the service works within an ethical framework that mandates safety as the first priority.

Looking at the recent cases of serious infections (one fatal) contracted while undergoing invasive procedures in a Hong Kong "beauty clinic", there is no doubt that these were medical in nature.

In the United States, extracorporeal manipulations such as laboratory culture to expand cell numbers cause a redefinition of those cells as pharmaceutical products. Delivery back to the human body has to have the same level of evidence of safety and efficacy as a new drug. Also, facilities where cells are manipulated have to have very strict controls and regulations. The same should apply in Hong Kong.

A sad reality is that the cosmetic industry is as poorly regulated as the beauty industry. Both provide a very valuable service. Both have extremely good practitioners who take pride in their work and in the satisfaction they see in their clients. Both, however, have rogue practitioners motivated more by personal profit and greed than a sense of professionalism.

Deaths have occurred in cosmetic surgery clinics in Hong Kong and, from reviewing the police records, it is obvious that patient safety was not the primary concern of these operating surgeons. After the tragic death of a young woman undergoing cosmetic surgery in a Jordan clinic in 2010, the Medical Protection Society and the Medical Association jointly held a seminar to review the safety of cosmetic practice in Hong Kong. It was at this seminar that I first became aware of Singapore's guidelines on aesthetic practices - setting out the principles regarding who should do what, and where various procedures should be performed.