Plastic surgeons are calling for the national regulation of cosmetic procedures, warning botox and collagen are more risky than people think.
The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons wants popular cosmetic procedures such as injectibles and fillers, as well as laser treatments, to be subject to enforceable guidelines.
The organisation's president, Geoff Lyons, said there was a particular need to provide protection for minors.
"We are concerned that the general public think of cosmetic procedures such as injectibles, fillers and lasers as not hazardous and therefore pose no risk," he said on Monday.
Dr Lyons urged the federal and state governments not to wait until someone dies to put the necessary safeguards in place.
"Unqualified practitioners using unapproved equipment, or injecting prescription drugs in unsafe environments is a recipe for disaster, " he added.
Dr Lyons said people needed to realise that cosmetic surgery and cosmetic procedures were "still real medical procedures".
"Collagen and Botox are prescription items and as such, should be prescribed by a doctor and injected under appropriate supervision in a properly audited facility that can manage if something goes wrong."
Dr Lyons pointed to a recent report from the Queensland Health Care Complaints Commission, which calls for better regulation and more national action to build in more protection for consumers.
A report by the Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council last year also called for a national framework.
"We endorse this national framework," Dr Lyons said.
"It goes some distance towards the creation of a safer environment for consumers."
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