Report errant beauty salons to ministry, consumers urged

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Victims of botched beauty treatment jobs or cheating by unscrupulous beauty houses should not hide behind their shame but instead join the Health Ministry in weeding out the errant ones from the multi-billion ringgit industry.
The ministry, acknowledging loopholes in regulations, wants to tighten the laws governing the industry, and is working closely with other stakeholders to make beauty procedures safer for the consumers, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin.
“Consumers have a role to play in identifying errant establishments as checks on beauty salons by the Health Ministry are based on complaints,” she said.
Malaysian Beauty Therapy Association president Datin Dr Clara Chee said beauty salons had mushroomed in the last few years.
The association estimates that the wellness industry is worth RM8bil annually, and at least one in three adults in Malaysia uses beauty services.
“Unfortunately, many of the new salons are small players desperate to make a quick buck.
“As a result, they resort to quick-fix solutions which can end up damaging the client's skin irreversibly in the long run,” she said.
While customers can terminate the services of a beauty centre and seek refunds under the Consumer Protection Act 1999, Chee said there was currently no law to specifically govern the industry.
Housewife M. Choo, 45, is a victim who fell for the ploy often employed by beauty houses to “milk” their customers.
Not only did she end up paying for unplanned treatments, Choo also ended up with a scarred face.
When she went to a skin care centre in Johor earlier this year, she had only planned to have a normal facial.
But she was persuaded to sign up for a laser package treatment that cost RM4,500 to remove dead skin and black spots from her face.
“After five sessions, my skin became badly burnt. I complained. The centre offered me two free sessions, but it only made my face worse,” she said.
When she sought the help of MCA Public Services and Complaints Bureau head Datuk Michael Chong recently, she realised that she was not alone.
Last year, Chong received eight similar complaints in which the victims had paid a total of RM25,100 for various beauty treatments.
This year, he has received four complaints so far but the amount involved was higher as the victims had paid a total of RM25,300.
Consumer Claims Tribunal statistics show that claims from consumers against beauty centres have increased by almost 60% from 253 claims last year to 401 so far this year.