Conference aims to educate aesthetic professionals

Conference aims to educate aesthetic professionals in an otherwise unregulated industry

Numerous complaints about unsafe practices in beauty, laser and aesthetic clinics from around New Zealand paints a disturbing picture of the industry.

Last year a Consumer NZ mystery shop revealed that seven out of the 47 beauty clinics visited offered to remove a raised skin lesion instead of referring the client to their GP.

Titirangi local Ruth Nicholson has been actively involved in advising local councils, health boards and NZ Association of Registered Beauty Therapists about minimising risks in the beauty and aesthetic industry.

For the past five years Ruth has been running a conference, Beauty Tech aimed at educating beauty and aesthetic professionals in New Zealand. The event is supported by industry authorities that understand the importance of medical grade industry education for clinics around the country.

She also runs a laser training facility NZ Laser Training where clinic staff can learn about laser safety and treatment.

At last year’s conference Ruth teamed up with Melanoma NZ who exhibited at the event and spoke to delegates about how to identify potential melanoma in clients and when to refer them to a GP.

They will return this year to speak to attendees about safe practice when it comes to dealing with suspicious skin lesions.

“With unrestricted access to some high-tech gadgets, active skin care and high-powered lasers and pulse light devices it’s important that those who seek to improve their knowledge have that opportunity” says Ruth.

For this reason, the theme for this year’s event is “Best practice for a better industry”. Ruth says “this means educating and challenging clinic operators, owners, therapists and technicians to lift their game. Stand out from the fluff and sparkles, cheap deals and fly-by-nighters in our unregulated and self-regulated industry.”

Ruth is determined to continue educating those in the industry and lobbying the Ministry of Health and other governing bodies to consider stricter regulations when it comes to the beauty and aesthetic trade.

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