Of thousands in operation only 34 beauty centers in Lebanon are lawful

In a comprehensive campaign to fight illegal practices, Health Minister Wael Abu Faour ordered on November 18, 2014, the closure of some 96 unlicensed beauty clinics. In doing so Abu Faour was reinforcing the legislation Decree No. 9827 of the year 1962 regulating the cosmetics sector as per making mandatory the acquisition of legal permits to practice, open or invest in beauty centers, and was implementing the Official Circular No. 41 issued in 2013. The information currently at the hands maintains that only 34 beauty centers are lawful and 136 professionals possess the permits to practice, according to the head of medical professions at the Ministry, Antoine Romanos. A preliminary survey has already revealed the presence of 92 unlicensed centers with much more to come as a result of another current survey expected to be concluded soon. Romanos did not give a precise figure for the total of illegal centers but estimated them at least at around 500 unlawful beauty clinics. Preliminary date at the Syndicate for Cosmetics Professionals and Owners of Beauty Centers indicates a much wider number of both clinics and practitioners in the field. The syndicate estimates that this field includes some 3500 centers and 15 thousand practitioners, only 19 of the latter with authorization to practice. The study carried out by the Syndicate was based on the records of cosmetics suppliers and exhibitors. Romanos clarifies the difference between medical aesthetic practice and services in beauty shops, explaining that the latter should only be involved in makeup art, skin and nail care, and that practitioners are only required to possess a professional brevet or technical baccalaureate. On the other hand, aesthetic and or plastic surgery and interventions can only be practiced by certified medical doctors like dermatologists or plastic surgeons.  Circular 41 has identified the tasks of practitioners in this branch of medicine, as including cultivation of hair, skin injections with cosmetics, use of laser, skin tightening, chemical peels and fat analysis. Pending the enactment of the new law, Abu Faour said that the regulation of this sector cases will be carried out according to certain provisions. These include a signed contract with a specialized dermatologist or plastic surgeon provided that the specialist is a full time practitioner having no right to open a private clinic.  (Al Akhbar, 7 April 2015)