Dr. Patrick Ormond:

Microdermabrasion, which essentially involves using a very fine blast of fine particles to resurface and smoothen the skin — think of sanding and polishing a table — can be beneficial, like all the cosmetic procedures that can be done. However, there is always a subset of people to whom the procedures will cause damage. It is important to have properly qualified practitioners because they know what is abnormal before they start. We are trained to recognise disease and what is abnormal so we will know not to treat such conditions. Dermatologists, plastic surgeons and ophthalmologists go through such a long period of training to learn what is abnormal and when a problem will develop so they will not laser a potential skin cancer or carry out a surgical procedure on somebody with a bleeding disorder.

Microdermabrasion, which is widely available in salons and beauticians' practices, and procedures right up to full plastic surgery have benefits for patients, both psychologically and cosmetically, but they can also have an adverse effect, like everything in life. To return to the points of Deputy Sandra McLellan and Senator Jillian van Turnhout, it is a question of knowing the facts. When one sees the website or glossy magazine, one does not know what one is getting; it is not clear. Consumers and patients need clarity so that if they see a dermatologist or beautician, he or she will be qualified. If they are seeing an ophthalmologist or plastic surgeon, they should know what they are getting. It is a matter of the correct usage of wording and not playing around. That is so important. As always, the well educated and well connected will be sent to the right people. However, it is perhaps the most vulnerable, because they are seeing the advertising, who will not know who to talk to or where to go for advice when thinking of having a breast lift or Botox. They will be targeted by advertising. Monitoring advertising and ensuring it does not mislead are important. It is not only the actresses and soap stars who are having these procedures; people on the street are having them as perfectly normal procedures. It is trivialised in our everyday life, yet it is potentially life threatening.

I was asked whether there have been deaths. Within the last four years of my practice, there have been two deaths from mismanaged moles in young men.