Canberra beauty salons have allegedly reused wax containing "pubic-type hairs", treated clients with dirty foot spas and operated from filthy and unhygienic stores, according to documents released under a freedom of information request.

Key points: Several beauty salons and tattooists are put on notice for a range of infection control breaches

Several beauty salons and tattooists are put on notice for a range of infection control breaches Reusing wax and rollers, working unhygienically and poor cleaning among reasons

Reusing wax and rollers, working unhygienically and poor cleaning among reasons Inspections take place "at least yearly" and offences are not made public, unlike food industry

Tattoo parlour inspections also revealed improper tracking and disposal of needles, expired or wrongly diluted cleaning products and overflowing containers of used sharps in cupboards.

The documents released to the ABC included improvement notices and complaint investigations over the past three years.

One complaint in June 2015 was in response to a customer's concern that a wax roller containing another person's hair was used on her skin.

The staff member reportedly told the customer it was too expensive to dispose of wax cartridges after each use.

When a health officer later inspected the store to find used wax cartridges inside heating blocks, the manager said they were about to be thrown away.

The salon agreed to purchase only single use cartridges in the future and no further action was taken.

Another woman claimed the actual wax used on her at a Tuggeranong beauty salon was worn.

Canberra beauty therapists have been accused of having cluttered and unhygienic stores. ( ABC News: Emilia Terzon )

The complaint form read:

"Complaint alleged that there were black pubic-type hairs in the wax when applied to her legs and that the wax was cloudy when it should have been clear".

A follow-up inspection did not detect the re-use of wax.

In December 2016, a Woden beauty salon was issued an improvement notice for hygiene violations, including using dirty foot spas.

A Belconnen beauty and nail salon was also found to have poor infection control, such as skin shavings littering the floor, wax pots left uncovered and also not cleaning the foot spas.

Some salons were found to be using equipment stained with blood, while others were infested by cockroaches.

Businesses operating on expired licenses

Inspections of beauty salons take place at least once a year. ( Creative Commons )

Poor infection control was also an issue for several Canberra tattooists.

A May 2015 inspection found one tattoo parlour was unsafely disposing of equipment, with an officer noting a container of used sharps sitting "absolutely chockers" on the top shelf of a cupboard.

Also in 2015, a health officer found no sharps containers in a city tattoo parlour while a tattoo was being applied.

Officers observed dirty storage spaces, instruments not rinsed in warm or hot water as required and no proper cleaning program in place.

Not following correct cleaning processes can prevent sterilisation of sharps, which could risk serious infection, an ACT Health spokesperson said.

None of the improvement notices issued in the three-year period led to prohibition orders, fines or prosecutions.

Even if they had progressed to prosecution, they would not have been made public.

Tattoo parlours risk failing sterilisation and infecting customers without proper cleaning methods. ( Reuters: Tomas Bravo )

Unlike the Food Act 2001, which permits an online registry of food offences, the Public Health Act 1997 does not require the naming and shaming of businesses, according to ACT Health.

Beauty therapists that do not perform skin penetration procedures do not require an infection control licence in the ACT.

They are only "expected" to comply with ACT Health guidelines on safe practices.

But the documents revealed some businesses that were obliged to hold one had been operating on expired licenses.

The ACT Health spokesperson said beauty salons were inspected "at least once a year" but refused to say how many were done without notice.

The spokesperson said those done following a complaint were always unannounced.

"If consumers have concerns about infection control at any personal service business, we encourage people to contact the Health Protection Service," the spokesperson said.

"All complaints concerning hygiene standards at a business premises are taken seriously and investigated by our public health officers."

The ABC has chosen not to name the businesses listed in the documents.