To meet demand, some lifestyle beauty salons and spas have even begun advertising "lunchtime beauty" micro-plastic surgery to attract customers. Little do they know that these so-called lifestyle beauty salons and spas lack the necessary medical qualifications for cosmetic procedures. Should complications arise, victims often find themselves in an awkward position when seeking redress.
Case Study
Injection Rhinoplasty Leads to "Disfigurement"
Recently, a young woman named Xiaoli from Zhejiang sought help at a plastic surgery department in Tianjin. At just 20 years old and fresh out of college, Xiaoli had secretly undergone an injection rhinoplasty procedure at a local beauty salon two weeks prior to improve her job prospects."The next day, her left nostril became swollen and red. By the fourth day, it had completely ulcerated," Xiao Li recounted. She immediately confronted the salon, but staff initially denied responsibility before ultimately shifting blame by claiming the procedure wasn't performed on their premises.
"The procedure wasn't actually done at the salon," Xiao Li clarified. "It was performed in a nearby rented room by someone claiming to be a specialist from a hospital." However, the 500 yuan fee was paid to the salon.Now, the so-called "expert" has vanished without a trace. The salon claims the fee was solely for "beauty treatments" and did not cover the "nose augmentation injection." Since no valid receipt was issued at the time, Xiao Li ultimately had no choice but to accept her misfortune.
Medical examination revealed localized skin necrosis on Xiao Li's nose. Without urgent treatment, severe necrosis could lead to nasal deformation, scarring, and disfigurement.These "lunchtime beauty" procedures often claim to deliver instant results without surgery or medication. They also promise no downtime—patients can even get injections during their lunch break and return to work in the afternoon without disrupting their daily lives.
During our investigation, we found many lifestyle beauty salons and spas advertising similar "lunchtime beauty" micro-procedures.One salon near the East Station rear plaza prominently displayed a "micro-cosmetic" price list: ¥980 for dark circle removal, ¥500 for Korean-style facial slimming (one session), ¥480 for nose augmentation... "None of these require surgery?" the reporter asked. "Correct, all involve injections—pain-free!"When the reporter expressed interest in seeing the chin-enhancement product, the female staff member hesitated before retrieving a small glass vial from the back room. The vial was entirely labeled in English, and after careful examination, the reporter found no manufacturer information listed.
Even more concerning, a beauty salon in Hebei District advertised "Fortune-Enhancing Plastic Surgery," claiming that specialists from major hospitals outside the city would visit weekly for consultations.
Expert
Exposing Beauty Salons' "Micro-Plastic Surgery" Marketing Ploy
"Neither lifestyle beauty salons nor medical spas possess qualifications for medical plastic surgery," stated Zhou Maohua, a member of Tianjin's Medical Aesthetics Quality Control Center. He emphasized that any beauty salon advertising "micro-plastic surgery" is problematic, as injectable aesthetics—a form of medical beauty treatment—can only be performed in licensed professional institutions.
Currently, beauty salons employ numerous deceptive tactics to lure customers with "micro-plastic surgery" offers. Citizens must be vigilant and only undergo such procedures at professional, licensed medical plastic surgery institutions approved by the Ministry of Health.
Deceptive Tactic 1:
Attracting Customers by Claiming Affiliation with Plastic Surgery Hospitals
This deceptive tactic is quite common among beauty salons.Examples include claims of being an affiliated institution of a certain plastic surgery hospital or offering regular consultations with experts and professors from such hospitals.
In reality, professional, legitimate hospitals strictly prohibit doctors from "moonlighting." Even for consultations, doctors must visit formal medical institutions—beauty salons simply lack the necessary qualifications. Moreover, doctors from legitimate hospitals require formal consultation approval procedures for off-site visits.
Many beauty salons falsely claim affiliations with plastic surgery hospitals. Their so-called "specialist professors" often lack medical credentials—some are aestheticians who took a few months of training before operating, while others are newly graduated medical students without licensed practice qualifications.
"Front" 2:
Hiring "Korean Plastic Surgery Experts" for Lobby Consultations
The craze for Korean plastic surgery has spawned so-called Korean experts, who are mostly marketing gimmicks used by beauty salons to attract customers.
In reality, China imposes stringent requirements on plastic surgeons. According to the Ministry of Health's "Administrative Measures for Medical Cosmetic Services," plastic surgeons must have at least six years of relevant medical practice.Foreign doctors practicing in China must not only obtain short-term medical licenses from their home country's health authorities but also pass relevant examinations before being permitted to practice. Many so-called "Korean plastic surgery experts" advertised by beauty salons lack Chinese medical qualifications, making their skills and credentials highly questionable. Among them are often doctors who failed to establish themselves in Korea and, unable to perform surgeries in their home country, come to China seeking "gold."Seeking cosmetic procedures from such individuals makes it significantly harder to seek redress if complications arise. "Front" 3: "Miracle Doctors" Performing Surgery at Home or in Rented Spaces In these cases, beauty salons and "miracle doctors" often operate as partners. The salon recruits clients for the doctor, who then pays the salon a commission. Such fronts typically lure customers with low prices.
In reality, China's Ministry of Health enforces strict regulations for medical-grade operating rooms. These rooms must be at least 20 square meters, undergo daily disinfection, and maintain monitored air quality. Additionally, they require essential emergency equipment like ventilators.
Neither the homes nor rented spaces of these so-called "miracle doctors" meet surgical standards. Should complications arise during procedures, the absence of critical life-saving equipment could endanger patients' lives.
"Front" 4:
Injectable products often disguised as "hyaluronic acid" or "botulinum toxin"
Injectable products like hyaluronic acid, botulinum toxin, and Aesthefiller require certification from legitimate manufacturers and must be supplied directly to medical aesthetic facilities with proper credentials. Beauty salons fundamentally lack such qualifications.
Currently, only two hyaluronic acid products—Restylane from Sweden and Yimei Hyaluronic Acid—are internationally certified and approved by China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). Similarly, only BOTOX® from the U.S. and Lanzhou Botulinum Toxin are approved for facial slimming and wrinkle reduction.
In contrast, injectable products used by some beauty salons lack fixed brands and often feature foreign-language packaging without manufacturer information. These so-called "hyaluronic acid" and "face-slimming injections" are unapproved counterfeit drugs, sold at prices lower than the wholesale cost of legitimate products, and carry significant risks of adverse effects.
Plastic Surgery Gone Wrong: Nationwide Dissatisfaction Rate Reaches 5%
It is understood that "disfigurement" following cosmetic procedures has become an increasingly severe issue in the industry. Currently, the nationwide dissatisfaction rate for cosmetic surgeries stands at 5%, encompassing cases of post-operative dissatisfaction, complications, and even disfigurement. The establishment of repair assistance centers has opened a green channel for those affected by failed procedures.
Yearly Exposures, Yearly Proliferation: Profits Far Exceed Illegal Costs
Today's cosmetic surgery market has reached a new level as consumer awareness grows. Many industry practitioners are well aware that the field is currently in a chaotic state, rife with mixed quality and unregulated practices.
Online sales of injectables, offline doctor searches: Underground cosmetic surgery industry rife with chaos
Recent undercover investigations reveal this black market industry is now rampant. Medication quality is unregulated, injection environments are unsanitary, and patients suffering adverse reactions often lack access to proper medical care.
Don't be fooled by "package deals"—stay firm in your decisions when considering cosmetic surgery.
Many people contemplate cosmetic procedures but struggle to determine what suits them best. They are often tempted by promotional "cosmetic surgery packages." However, cosmetic surgery is not like shopping at a supermarket. When choosing procedures, one must remain steadfast in their decisions and avoid the impulse to keep adding items to their cart.