A new campaign highlighting the dangers of unregulated cosmetic procedures will be rolled out to protect Victorians from the horrors that can be unleashed by dodgy quacks.

According to recent data from the Health Complaints Commissioner, a quarter of investigations started in 2018/19 related to cosmetic procedures.

The social media campaign being released by the Andrews Labor Government encourages would-be patients to play it safe and check a facility and its practitioners are registered.

All cosmetic procedures carry risks, including disfigurement and infection. In some cases, it can be deadly.

Aggressive new trends and cheap deals are increasingly targeting vulnerable customers with unlicensed facilities, low-cost imitation and online influencers emerging on the market.

Victorians are urged to report dodgy operators who may be putting the public at risk to authorities or the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Labor Government has made landmark reforms to protect patients by making it mandatory that all surgery, including cosmetic surgery, may only be provided by a registered private hospital or day procedure centre.

The Government has also changed the law to ensure liposuction and anaesthesia – including intravenous sedation and anything more than a low dose of local anaesthetic – is carried out in a registered private hospital or day procedure centre.

The new campaign videos have been translated into English, Mandarin, Khmer, Vietnamese, Thai and Korean.

They can be viewed on the department’s Better Health Channel at betterhealth.vic.gov.au.