While there is scant scientific evidence to back some of the claims, many people flock to these non-surgical treatments with high hopes for a whiter and more youthful skin.

According to the council, these so- called innovative treatments include whitening drips, placenta extracts, carbon dioxide injections and the face- piercing "gold thread" facelifts.

Since these are considered cosmetic treatments, they do not come under the Pharmacy and Poisons and Medical Registration Ordinance.

The key ingredient in skin whitening drips is glutathione, a strong antioxidant for treating cancer and AIDS. Its side effects include nausea, vomiting and stomachache and may even be lethal if overused, according to the Department of Health. Another ingredient, tranexamic acid, could lead to liver failure if overused.

Under the law, if the substance used in a cosmetic injection is not a pharmaceutical product, such as glutathione, there is no legal requirement on its use.

This is not the only loophole in the web of non-surgical treatments, the Consumer Council claimed.

Dermal fillers such as collagen are not classified as medical devices in Hong Kong hence are only subject to voluntary administrative control.

The council said it had received five complaints over the past three years. One of these was the failure of collagen injections to produce a smoother skin, while an injection to enhance the nose led to swelling in another case.

Another daunting cosmetic treatment highlighted by the council was the gold thread facelift that involves inserting gold threads to form a web under the skin. It is claimed this boosts collagen secretion and increasing skin elasticity.

Last year the medical journal Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reported a 40-year-old patient developed severe facial pain after three insertions within a decade.

Radiographs revealed the web had disintegrated.

Currently there is no such treatment in Hong Kong, but local cosmetic centers can arrange for their clients to get the gold insertions done in South Korea.

The council has proposed the regulation of these non-surgical cosmetic treatments. In addition, it recommended that dermal fillers be graded as medical devices. The council said consumers should seek medical opinion and study the risks involved.