Li Zheng (pseudonym) still feels uneasy recalling May 21, 2011, when his wife underwent lip hair removal at a cosmetic clinic on Wenhua East Road in Lixia District. During the laser procedure, her lips were burned."My wife didn't go in intending to get this procedure. She was considering something like double eyelid surgery. After arriving at the clinic, the staff introduced their services. Under their persuasion, my wife ultimately chose the lip hair removal laser treatment." "I thought at the time that double eyelid surgery might carry some risk, but laser lip hair removal seemed relatively safe. That was my own judgment," Li Zheng explained.
On May 21, 2011, Xiao Wen underwent her first laser lip hair removal session, which proceeded without incident. She returned for a second treatment on June 26, again experiencing no adverse effects. On August 14, accompanied by Li Zheng, Xiao Wen visited the clinic for a third session. This time, things took a turn for the worse. "For the third treatment, the clinic switched both the technician and the machine.I was waiting outside the treatment room when my wife came out and said they’d switched machines and therapists today. As soon as she emerged, I noticed a red patch on her lip. The therapist might have been rushing or lacked experience, applying the laser too intensely. I knew it was a laser burn and confronted them about it. They insisted it wasn’t a burn.I thought, "This never happened during the first two sessions. Comparing the results, it's obvious something went wrong this time." So I insisted on an explanation. I asked, "Why didn't the redness appear after the previous two treatments?" They replied, "Maybe we applied a bit more laser this time." That proves it was their mistake."
The hospital refused to acknowledge any fault, which infuriated Li Zheng. "As a consumer, I'm paying for results, not pain.I tried to coordinate a solution with the hospital staff, but they said, 'It's nothing, just apply an ice pack. It should be fine in about half an hour.' In reality, we kept applying ice for an hour and a half, but the pain around my mouth persisted. By 5 PM, we didn't want to linger there any longer, so we went home. As soon as I arrived, blisters started forming. I panicked and called the hospital. The staff claimed it was nothing, just individual differences."
Consumers May Sign Unclear Contracts
"Next, I plan to file a complaint against this cosmetic hospital. But I have one concern: consumers have limited access to information about cosmetic procedures. Cosmetic hospitals can say whatever they want.We consumers don't know which department to turn to verify their claims." Li Zheng said. "To seek justice, I first called 12315. They told me this cosmetic hospital is classified as a medical institution, not under the jurisdiction of the Administration for Market Regulation, but rather the Health Bureau. Frankly, the Health Bureau doesn't have a convenient hotline, so I filed a complaint with the 12345 Citizen Service Hotline.A week later, perhaps due to oversight pressure from the 12345 hotline, the clinic reached out to me. Initially, they were quite confrontational. I told them, 'Don't try to wriggle out of this. You said going to the Administration for Industry and Commerce is pointless because you're not under their jurisdiction. I said, 'Someone has to be holding you accountable.'
Later, a vice president in charge of operations at the hospital contacted Li Zheng to resolve the issue. Li Zheng recounted, "I told him, 'I paid for cosmetic treatment. You can't make me more beautiful, but at least don't make me uglier.' They said there was no remedy for the laser burn and I'd just have to wait for it to heal on its own. I asked how long it would take, and he replied, 'It's hard to say. It varies from person to person, but it will gradually fade over time.'I said, 'If it takes ten years to heal, am I supposed to endure ten years? That's unacceptable!' As of September 4th, my wife's burns still haven't healed."Later, the Vice President of Operations mentioned that before the surgery, the hospital had the patient sign a document regarding the procedure. I asked my wife if she signed it, but she couldn't remember. I suspect there might be an issue here—they make you sign things without fully explaining them, failing to highlight important information. If the hospital had shown me that so-called agreement back then, I absolutely would not have let my wife go through with it.Their agreements are likely full of technical jargon. My wife couldn't easily understand it but signed anyway. They didn't explain, so she signed without any recollection." "Later, I suggested to them: Since this involves medical care, let's go through the medical malpractice assessment process. They implied that medical malpractice assessments are troublesome, that they've handled such cases before, and that if I filed a complaint, I wouldn't have the connections they do..."
Doctor says laser treatment may affect fertility
"I'm not one to give in easily. After three months of negotiations, they finally offered a refund and promised to provide specific medications to aid recovery. They said any unfinished treatments from my previous sessions could be completed—they'd perform additional sessions until full recovery.I was considering accepting this, but then the doctor said something else that changed my mind. He mentioned that for young women, there should be a six-month interval between laser treatments, especially if they plan to have children. I asked why they hadn't mentioned this earlier. Girls in their mid-to-late twenties are in the prime of their youth—some might be trying to conceive. If they keep getting laser treatments without knowing this, it could ruin their chances." Li Zheng explained."In the end, I demanded a full refund and didn't dare undergo any recovery treatments there. Honestly, I don't know if there are national standards for laser treatments. I just feel electronic devices must emit radiation. If it were just two or three sessions, I could accept it. But if they offered 100 free recovery treatments? Who would dare go through with that?"
Beauty Clinic Issues Can Be Reported to Medical Administration Department
Li Zheng's complaint process was complicated. He wanted to know which department to report problems with beauty clinics to. "Is there a specialized department overseeing these beauty salons? I heard about that Super Girl contestant who died from plastic surgery. It caused such a huge uproar back then, but look—it's been forgotten now, and people still keep going for procedures."
Reflecting on this clinic experience, he said, "Women naturally have a strong desire for beauty, but after that ordeal, my wife felt utterly drained. The process was incredibly stressful, not to mention the hassle of constant back-and-forth trips. She had to take time off work, and it affected her professional image—how would her colleagues perceive her?In short, it left her utterly drained and she never wants to go back for beauty treatments."
He also cautioned, "It took me three months to successfully defend my rights, and having the receipt was crucial. I remind citizens that some beauty clinics might refuse to provide receipts unless you specifically ask. If something goes wrong and you have no proof, how can you defend your rights? The clinic could simply deny you ever came in, and you'd be powerless."
Note: Cosmetic clinics are classified as medical institutions. Citizens encountering medical issues may consult the Medical Administration Division of the Municipal Health Bureau.