China's Risky Cosmetic Surgery Industry Goes Under the Knife

China's cosmetic surgery boom has a glossy surface—and a disturbing underside. The Washington Post reports that Beijing has launched an aggressive crackdown on medical aesthetics, targeting misleading advertising, underqualified practitioners, and social media platforms accused of fueling "appearance anxiety" among young women. Regulators have tightened licensing rules, restricted cosmetic marketing, and pushed tech companies to scrub vast amounts of content, even as demand continues to surge. Analysts estimate China's medical aesthetics market will reach $42 billion this year, making it the world's second largest. For many consumers, cosmetic procedures are seen as tools for survival in a hypercompetitive society. As Shanghai clinic executive Cao Wenhong put it, some people seek treatments simply to "get more opportunities to have work or to have a date."

The government's campaign reflects growing concern that social media has accelerated risky behavior faster than oversight can keep up. Platforms such as Xiaohongshu have banned hundreds of thousands of medical aesthetics accounts, while state media has aired warnings about procedures ranging from Botox to liposuction. Regulators have also cracked down on exploitative intermediaries and fast-track training programs that promise to turn people with no medical background into injectors in days. Despite improvements since the industry's early "Wild West" era, patients continue to report lasting physical and psychological harm from procedures gone wrong. Meg Lu, who underwent a series of cosmetic treatments that left her face unnaturally swollen and tight, said enforcement alone may not be enough. "Things are getting better," she said, but it remains "very, very difficult" to wipe out dubious doctors and clinics entirely.

A BBC investigation published last year shows how those regulatory gaps translate into long-term damage for patients. It documents widespread injuries linked to unlicensed operators and improperly performed procedures, including cases where people sought multiple corrective surgeries after initial treatments failed. Yue Yue, a 28-year-old woman whose face was permanently altered after injections hardened beneath her skin, said repeated attempts to fix the damage only made things worse, leaving scars and chronic pain. Her experience highlights the stakes behind China's cleanup efforts: Once harm is done, it can be impossible to undo. Looking back, Yue Yue said she no longer wants cosmetic enhancement at all. "If I could go back to how I looked before surgery, I'd be quite happy."