Introduction: The beauty industry has been experiencing a continuous growth worldwide. The increasing variety and accessibility of cosmetic procedures increases the potential risks of adverse events including infections.
Aim: The aim of this article is to review international and national guidelines for infection prevention and control directly related to cosmetic services.
Materials and Methods: A systematic review of scientific publications and official documents from health institutions, professional organizations, and regulatory authorities on infection prevention and control in cosmetic services was conducted in March 2026. Literature was searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and SpringerLink in English and Bulgarian. The search terms included: infection prevention, guidelines or standards & cosmetic/beauty. The review covered Western European countries, USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Reference lists of relevant documents were also screened.
Results and Discussion: The review included 26 documents from 7 countries, as well as international and regional sources. The findings show that most documents emphasize similar principles, including hand hygiene, personal protective equipment, cleaning, disinfection and sterilization, waste management, staff training, and risk assessment. At the same time, important differences exist in the level of detail and enforceability. More advanced systems apply a risk-based approach with stricter requirements for invasive procedures. The analysis also shows that the Bulgarian regulatory framework remains partly outdated and does not fully correspond to current international standards.
Conclusion: International practice is moving toward an integrated, risk-based model of infection prevention and control in the cosmetic sector highlighting the need for update of the Bulgarian regulations to improve safety and service quality.
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