Notify us about your new beauty business, and find out how hair, beauty and tattoo businesses should operate in a clean and safe way to minimise transmitting disease and infection.
Opening a hair, beauty or tattoo business in the City of PAE?
If you’re opening or taking over a hairdressing business, beauty salon or tattoo parlour, you’ll need to submit a Hairdresser, beauty and skin penetration notification form. In addition, you should contact our Planning team on 8405 6600 to find out whether you also need planning approval.
If you have any questions about your public health obligations, give our Environmental Health Team a call on 8405 6600.
Keeping your clients safe
If you own a hairdressing business, beauty salon, tattoo parlour or related businesses, it’s your responsibility to make sure that your clients undergo procedures that are safe and hygienic, and that are delivered by qualified and competent professionals.
Practitioners must use appropriate non-touch (aseptic) technique and sterilised equipment during high-risk procedures such as:
- Waxing
- Micropigmentation
- Injectables
- Lancing
- Permanent or semi-permanent makeup
- Dermabrasion or microneedling
- Acupuncture or dry needling
Regular hand washing as well as using clean and disinfected tools and linen is necessary during beauty treatments such as manicures, pedicures and facials.
Hairdressers must limit the risk of infection if they accidentally pierce a customer's skin.
We inspect hair, beauty and tattoo businesses
We may inspect hairdressers, tattooists, body piercers, acupuncturists and beauty therapists once a year under the South Australian Public Health Act 2011. This helps to ensure that the business is following safe procedures and practices to prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS and bacterial infections.
Our Environmental Health Officers provide education in hygienic and non-touch techniques. They can be contacted on 8405 6600 and are always happy to answer questions from businesses wanting to improve their practices.
Report a problem about a hair, beauty or tattoo business
If you’ve received a service from a hairdresser, tattooist, body piercer, acupuncturist or beauty therapist and you’d like to report a problem, give us a call on 8405 6600 or send an email to service@cityofpae.sa.gov.au
Choose your tattoo studio carefully
Most people go to professional, established tattoo studios, which must comply with high standards of infection control to reduce the spread of infectious diseases like Hepatitis B and C and HIV/AIDS. Going to an amateur tattoo studio may put your health at risk.
Safety guidelines for hair, beauty and tattoo businesses
Our Environmental Health Officers inspect hairdressers using the Guidelines on the Public Health Standards of Practice for Hairdressing 2006. These guidelines provide information on infection risk, cleaning processes, sterilisation, operator hygiene and cleanliness standards. Hairdressers participating in any form of skin penetration must refer to the Guidelines on the Safe and Hygienic Practices of Skin Penetration 2004.
If you are opening a hairdressing business, give our Environmental Health Officers a call on 8405 6600 before you start operating.
Beauty therapies can increase the risk of disease transmission when the skin is penetrated or when you come into contact with body substances. These therapies include:
- Lancing
- Waxing and electrolysis
- Micropigmentation
- Nail manicures and pedicures
- Colonic lavage or irrigation
Our Environmental Health Officers inspect beauty therapists using the Guidelines on the Safe and Hygienic Practices of Skin Penetration 2004, which contain the Penetration Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plan. We recommend that beauty therapists regularly review and read the guidelines and use the HACCP Plan to monitor and assess their business.
Acupuncture is the practice of inserting sterile needles into specific parts of the body to treat disease or relieve pain. The majority of items used in acupuncture are available as pre-sterilised and single use. Our Environmental Health Officers inspect acupuncture clinics.
Tattooists must comply with high standards of infection control to reduce the spread of infectious diseases such as Hepatitis B and C and HIV/AIDS. You can find out more in the Guidelines on the Safe and Hygienic Practices of Skin Penetration 2004. Our Environmental Health Officers inspect tattoo studios.
Disposing of tattoo waste safely
Needles, syringes, intravenous giving sets, lancets and scalpel blades (collectively known as sharps) must be placed in yellow puncture resistant medical waste sharps containers for safe disposal. Plastic bottles, tins or cartons are not suitable to use for sharps disposal.
Where to buy sharps containers
Medical waste sharps containers are available for purchase from most pharmacies or Diabetes SA branches. Additionally, you can purchase a 1.4L container for $5.80 or a 5L container for $10.55 from our offices.
Where to drop off your sharps containers
Sharps containers cannot be disposed of in standard waste bins like general waste, recycling, organics or street litter bins. They can only be disposed of in an approved medical waste bin.
