The woman who came to the Consumer Action Law Centre had been to a cosmetic surgery party, similar to Tupperware or lingerie parties.

Her anxiety was not about liposuction and face-lifts; cosmetic enhancement and surgery have been growing in popularity for more than 100 years. What was worrying her was the presence of a salesman offering finance for "boob jobs", for those who did not have the money in their bank accounts.

The joint chief executive of the Consumer Action Law Centre, Catriona Lowe, says growing use of credit for cosmetic enhancement carries pitfalls: "A consumer who uses financial inability to resist could be met with a response: 'Well, we have finance here for you."'

And the biggest problem with borrowing to fund nose jobs and fix sagging eyelids comes when the debtor can no longer afford to repay the loan.

Those who borrow to buy a car can give it back, she says, but the person who bought breast augmentation cannot. That means creditors can take steps that may mean the debtor puts their car or house at risk.

"Obviously, consumers need to make their own decisions about what they can afford but we need to be concerned about levels of debt in society," she says.

The law centre says "healthy" borrowing enables a person to acquire a house or car an asset. "With personal body enhancement, it's a little bit less clear that there's an asset," it says.

It costs about $300 for a Botox treatment every few months, to prevent wrinkles from returning.

But permanence usually means surgery, which is more expensive. It costs from about $3900 for an upper and lower eyelid, to $9000 for a facelift.

The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons says cosmetic plastic surgery is considered elective surgery and is not covered by most insurance plans, although reconstructive surgery is often covered by Medicare and most health-insurance policies, to some degree.

Consumer organisation Choice researched companies and brokers targeting potential surgery patients.

"Some of the offers are not very good," says spokesperson Elise Davidson. One company, Mediplan, offered 16.9 per cent interest to members and 17.9 per cent to non-members, plus fees.

Davidson says shadow shoppers, who made appointments with plastic surgeons anonymously, found some had information about this type of loan in their office.

In comparison, credit card rates can be obtained at about 10.99 per cent to 12.99 per cent. Personal loans can be had at 12.99 per cent interest, although fees and minimum loan amounts apply.

Davidson says the decision to have surgery is very personal and often emotional. But people should keep in mind that if they lose their job and cannot afford to repay the loan, "regardless of how important they feel the work was" there will be an ongoing impact on their financial health.

Choice says anyone considering a loan should not go for the first one they come across. Davidson urges people to research their options and take a good look at how much they can afford.

Doctors' qualifications must pass check-up

The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons warns patients should never choose a doctor solely on the basis of lower cost. Patients should:

M Check the doctor they choose is a fully qualified specialist plastic surgeon who is trained to perform the procedure they want.

M Look for the letters FRACS after a doctor's name. This means they meet surgical training standards for accreditation set by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

The industry's other body, the Australian College of Cosmetic Surgery, requires qualifying members to have performed more than 50, or sometimes more than 100, procedures. In addition, the ACCS recommends patients should:

* Ask how many times their doctor has performed the procedure.

* Ask about risks and the doctor's own complication rate.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission recently has approved the ACCS's code of practice and bylaws.