Cosmetic treatments explained: guide

By Luljeta Dine, founder and Beauty Director of AQAFACIAL™, author and expert in cosmetics, wellness and well-being.

This topic area puts cosmetic treatments in context: what the terms mean, what to look at before an appointment and where the line to medicine runs. Everything here is information about care. It is not a diagnosis and does not replace medical advice.

More about the author is on the page About Luljeta Dine. The German version of this topic has further guides.

The main kinds of cosmetic treatment

Peelings. Peelings can be done at home or in a studio. The guide Peeling: at home or in a studio? puts the methods in context.

Facials. "Facial" is an umbrella term for many procedures, from the classic programme to treatment with devices. The article Facials at a glance (in German) shows what hides behind the names.

Device-based treatments. For devices that use radiation, legal rules apply (see the next section).

The original AQAFACIAL™. AQAFACIAL™ is a brand of facial treatment. The original AQAFACIAL™ is a cosmetic facial that works with water: it cleanses, peels gently with the Hydrapeeling, cleans the pores, supplies moisture and finishes with care. The peeling needs no scrubbing. The aim of the treatment is a fresh complexion with a glow. AQAFACIAL™ is a care treatment and not a medical one. The step-by-step description, the benefits and the preparation are on the page AQAFACIAL™ treatment: process and glow (in German).

Where the law draws a line: devices and expertise

Devices that use non-ionising radiation, such as lasers and intense light sources, are regulated in Germany by the ordinance NiSV. According to § 1, it applies to the commercial operation of equipment that uses non-ionising radiation on people for cosmetic or other non-medical purposes.

Two rules matter for you as a client:

• The operator has to make sure the person using the device has the required expertise. That is what § 4 NiSV says. The expertise covers theory and practice, including the physical properties of the radiation, its biological effects and risks, the technical design of the device and anatomy and physiology. For lasers and intense light sources, § 5 (1) describes how to acquire it: by completing a training specified in the ordinance, or, for licensed doctors, through medical further education.
• Some applications are reserved for licensed doctors with the relevant further training. According to § 5 (2) NiSV, this includes ablative laser applications and applications that break the skin's protective barrier, the treatment of vascular changes and of pigmented skin changes, the removal of tattoos and permanent make-up.

What does that mean for you? Before an appointment with a device, ask who operates it and which training they have. If a treatment sounds like one of the reserved applications, only a doctor may perform it.

What a job title does and does not tell you

In Germany, "cosmetician" (Kosmetiker) is listed in Annex B, section 1, of the Crafts and Trades Code as a craft that does not require a master's certificate. There is also a master's examination in the cosmetics trade, as the Munich and Upper Bavaria Chamber of Crafts describes. The word "cosmetician" on its own therefore says little about training. If it matters to you, ask which qualification the person has.

Luljeta Dine is the founder and Beauty Director of AQAFACIAL™, a state-examined specialist cosmetician and dermatherapist. She has worked in the best and best-known five-star hotels and runs one of the largest beauty brands in Germany. Drawing on the experience of several thousand facial treatments, she founded AQAFACIAL™. Her work is about cosmetic skin care and not about medical treatment.

Guides in this area

• Peeling: at home or in a studio?: understand the methods and know their limits.
• Facials at a glance (in German): classics, devices and how to check expertise.
• AQAFACIAL™ treatment: process and glow (in German): the original treatment step by step, benefits and preparation.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the line between cosmetics and medicine?

Cosmetics care for the skin; they do not treat diseases. For devices, § 5 (2) NiSV reserves certain applications for licensed doctors with the relevant further training, among them tattoo removal, the treatment of vascular and pigmented skin changes and applications that break the skin's protective barrier. If a skin change worries you, see a doctor first.

Are skin diseases a matter for a cosmetician?

No. Skin diseases belong with a doctor. The Verbraucherzentrale (German consumer advice centre) advises seeing a doctor for unwanted reactions such as a rash. The German Dermatological Society offers a search for dermatologists.

Does cosmetics advertising keep its promises?

Often not. According to the Verbraucherzentrale, advertising frequently promises more than the product delivers, and visible wrinkles cannot be "creamed away". Read claims critically before you book and ask for the process to be explained.

When is expertise required for a device?

If lasers or intense light sources are used for cosmetic purposes on a commercial basis, the operator has to make sure that the person using them has the expertise required by §§ 4 and 5 NiSV. Ask before the appointment who uses the device and which training they have.

When to see a doctor

If you have a rash, pain, inflammation, a discolouration or a skin spot that changes, see a doctor before you book a treatment. Do the same if you notice an unexpected reaction after a treatment. A dermatologist can examine your skin. The German Dermatological Society lists specialists in its search for dermatologists (in German).

Last updated 11 November 2026