Cosmetic treatments explained: guide

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

A cosmetic treatment is a care routine you book instead of doing it at home: a professional looks at your skin, cleanses it, may peel it gently and finishes with care. This guide explains the common kinds, shows you what to ask before an appointment and draws the line to medicine. 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 links further guides that are not yet available in English.

The main kinds of cosmetic treatment

Peelings. A peeling loosens dead skin cells from the surface, for example with a mild scrub or with water and a peeling solution. You can do a gentle version at home, and a studio offers other methods. The guide Peeling: at home or in a studio? compares the options.

Facials. "Facial" is an umbrella term. Many start with a talk about your skin and a cleansing and end with care. In between, the steps differ from studio to studio, and some work with devices. The article Facials at a glance (in German) shows what hides behind the names.

Device-based treatments. Some studios use machines, from water-based peeling heads to lasers and intense light. For a part of these, the law sets rules (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. 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. A good studio answers without hesitation. If a treatment sounds like one of the reserved applications, it belongs in a medical practice.

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 anyone may start without 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 a state-examined cosmetician, specialist cosmetician, dermatherapist and beauty specialist. 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; medicine looks after illness. For devices, § 5 (2) NiSV reserves certain applications for licensed doctors, 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 consumer advice centres advise 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 consumer advice centres, 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 the skin, which no cosmetic treatment can do. The German Dermatological Society lists specialists in its search for dermatologists (in German).

Last updated 11 November 2026