Beauty and Hairdressing Businesses

Learn what’s needed to start a beauty or hairdressing business in Kwinana. Follow health regulations, notify the City, and use helpful checklists to guide your application.

Skin Penetration and Beauty Therapy

Skin penetration procedures involve cutting, puncturing, or breaking the skin or mucous membrane. This includes services like tattooing, body piercing, beauty treatments, and acupuncture.

Skin penetration premises offering these services must follow the  Health (Skin Penetration Procedures) Regulations 1998 and the  Code of Practice for Skin Penetration Procedures to reduce the risk of infection.

This ensures that practicable steps are taken to prevent the risk of infections. You will need to notify the City of Kwinana if you intend to operate a skin penetration establishment. This notification does not apply to medical practitioners, dentists, podiatrists or nurses or any other person registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency as they carry out their normal duties. There are specific design and setup requirements for treatment areas. For example, there must be a hands-free handwash basin with hot and cold water, soap, and paper towels in the treatment area. For home-based setups, a portable basin or a room with direct access to a handwash basin (e.g., an ensuite) is acceptable.

You can lodge a notification form for beauty/skin penetration premises online using Kwinana Connect under “Planning, Building, Health applications”.

There are a number of design and fit-out requirements of the immediate treatment area and workspace/preparation areas for a skin penetration establishment. For example, a hands-free handwash basin fitted with hot and cold water supply, soap and paper towels must be provided in the immediate area where skin penetration procedures are undertaken. For a home-based basin, an acceptable solution to meet this requirement is by fitting a portable basin within the treatment room or choosing a room where there is immediate access to a hand wash basin e.g. ensuite.

Before applying please complete the Checklist for Starting a Skin Penetration Business and read through the Guide to construction, fit-out and operation of a skin penetration premise below.

Hairdressing Premises

Under the new Public Health Act 2016 (WA) the Hairdressing Establishment Regulations 1972 have been repealed and replaced with the Guideline for the management of public health risks associated with the hairdressing and barber industry.

Under these guidelines, there is no requirement for the City’s Health Services to approve or routinely inspect hairdressing establishments. Please note, that there may be other requirements with the City’s Planning Department and or Building Department.

Hairdressers are advised to carefully read and follow the guidelines. 

Further information

Should you have further questions, please speak to an Environmental Health Officer on 9439 0475 or submit your application online under 'Planning, Building, Health Applications' via our online portal Kwinana Connect