Union County Salon Owners Fined For Performing Illegal Treatments: AG

UNION COUNTY, NJ — Three Union County salon owners were ordered to pay thousands of dollars in fines this week after New Jersey's top prosecutor said they performed medical spa treatments on customers without the required licensing.

According to a news release from New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, prosecutors said the salon owners were fined for performing "invasive aesthetic treatments" like dermal filler injections, Botox injections, cosmetic tattooing and laser hair removal, treatments the state only authorizes licensed medical professionals to perform in New Jersey.

The three salon owners cited were:

• Carolina Nunez, owner of Carolina Nunez Skincare in Union Township.
• Marisol Cabrera, owner of Marysol's Beauty Works in Union Township.
• Isabella Dos Santos, owner of Katica Body Contour in Elizabeth.

All three businesses are now closed, Platkin said.

According to prosecutors, Nunez offered and performed numerous services exceeding the scope of her license, including dermal filler injections, Botox injections, cosmetic tattooing, platelet-rich plasma treatments — also known as "vampire facials" — and the use of a hyaluronic pen. She also offered cosmetology services without a license, Platkin said.

An investigation into Nunez's business began in April 2022 when a routine inspection revealed injectable drugs, blood collection kits with vials and a sharps container filled with used needles, a microblading machine and other equipment in her shop.

Nunez was fined $22,500 in civil penalties, prosecutors said.

Cabrera was ordered to pay $17,650 in fines after prosecutors said she performed numerous medical and non-medical procedures at her salon, including incisional drainage and lymphatic drainage massages using ultrasound, radiofrequency and cavitation machines.

Cabrera also offered cosmetology services without a license, Platkin said.

Finally, Dos Santos was fined $20,000 for offering numerous unlicensed procedures in her salon, including facial fillers, vampire facials, micropigmentation, chemical peels, lymphatic drainage massages, ear candling, teeth whitening and laser hair removal. Dos Santos also offered cosmetology services without a license, Platkin said.

"Those who perform medical procedures without the requisite licensure and qualifications pose a serious threat to public safety that will not be tolerated," Cari Fais, acting director of New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs, said in a statement. “We will continue to investigate and put a stop to unlawful conduct like this, and we urge consumers to do their homework before undergoing invasive aesthetic procedures. Selecting an unqualified individual to perform those procedures could result in"serious injury or death.”