Simone Sissing

This page exists for Simone Sissing, a member of the Me Clinic team.

We are not publishing a role or qualifications here, because we do not hold verified current details for this page. Our practitioners and their AHPRA registration numbers are on meet the team; phone 1300 852 050 to ask who would look after you.

In its place: who is legally allowed to do what, which is worth knowing before you book anything anywhere.

Surgery

Only a registered medical practitioner may perform surgery. For cosmetic surgical procedures - facelift, breast surgery, abdominoplasty, rhinoplasty, liposuction, eyelid surgery - the highest relevant qualification is Specialist Plastic Surgeon (FRACS).

A doctor without specialist surgical registration may lawfully perform some cosmetic procedures. There is no AHPRA specialty of "cosmetic surgery", and the title "cosmetic surgeon" has been restricted since 1 July 2023. Ask what registration the person holds, and check it at ahpra.gov.au.

Since 1 July 2023, cosmetic surgery also requires a GP referral, psychological screening, at least two consultations before booking, and a cooling-off period of at least seven days (three months and a mandatory psychological assessment for under-18s).

Cosmetic injectables

These involve prescription-only medicines, which is what drives the rules.

• A medical practitioner must assess you and prescribe before any injectable treatment. That assessment must be a real consultation - in person, or by video where permitted - not a phone sign-off by a doctor who has never seen you.
• A registered nurse may then administer the treatment within their scope of practice.
• A nurse practitioner may prescribe within their scope.
• A beauty therapist or dermal therapist may not inject.
• Because these are prescription medicines, they cannot lawfully be advertised to the public by name. That is why clinic websites use phrases like "anti-wrinkle treatment" - it is a legal requirement, not coyness.

Ask who prescribed your treatment, and ask to speak to them.

Lasers and energy devices

Regulation varies by state and by device class, and this is the least tightly controlled area in the industry. In Victoria there is no general licence requirement for most cosmetic laser and IPL use, which means training and supervision vary enormously between clinics.

So ask directly: who is operating this device, what training do they have on it, and who supervises them? Laser burns and permanent pigment change are the common injuries here, and they are more likely on darker skin. Skin typing, and a test patch for some treatments, should come first.

Skin treatments

Peels, needling, microdermabrasion and facials are generally performed by dermal therapists and aestheticians. These are not registered health professions - there is no AHPRA number and no national standard behind titles like "paramedical aesthetician" or "dermal clinician". Deeper peels and medical-grade needling should be performed under medical oversight.

A skin therapist cannot diagnose. They cannot tell you whether a mole is safe. If anything on your skin is changing, see a doctor.

Mole and lesion removal

This one is not negotiable. A pigmented lesion that has not been assessed must not be lasered, frozen or burned off - destructive methods leave nothing for pathology and can erase the evidence of an early melanoma. Anything of concern is excised whole and tested. Beauty clinics offering "mole removal" should be avoided entirely.

The general test

Ask who is doing it, what they are registered as, who supervises them, and what happens if it goes wrong. A clinic that answers all four plainly is a clinic that has thought about it.

Me Clinic, 4 Burke Road, Malvern East VIC 3145. Phone 1300 852 050 or (03) 9569 3511.

Related: meet the team, risks and complications, moles and skin tags.

Individual results may vary. Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.