Problems show the ugly face of the beauty industry

'Appearance anxiety'

"The main problem is 'appearance anxiety' prompted by society's preference for a 'beautiful face'. It's very sad that 'less attractive' people may be given the cold shoulder at job interviews or on blind dates," said Li Huiying, a 27-year-old saleswoman, who said she was shunned during a blind date because the man she was meeting didn't like her looks.

She added that not every woman is perfect, but the overwhelming number of short videos and photos shared online depict a unitary standard of beauty－flawless white skin, large eyes, a curvaceous body shape and long legs.

"The more I see these photos and videos, the more I become self-contemptuous, and the desire to have cosmetic surgery to change the way I look gets stronger," she said. "It's very stressful."

Li said she had consulted centers about plastic surgery and noninvasive facial treatment, but she backed out as she couldn't decide which institute was the best or safest.

"I just have doubts about their promotions. For example, one beauty clinic I consulted said that it could perform noninvasive procedures to remove the bags under my eyes, and they wouldn't leave any scars, so I could go to work the next day. It sounded like an exaggeration, but I just couldn't tell if the claim was true," she said.

"Money is another problem. Some procedures cost tens of thousands of yuan, which is out of my range, but some staff members at centers advised me to take out a loan to pay for the treatment－that's crazy."

The rapid, unsupervised growth of the sector has seen the government move to tighten oversight.

Last month, the National Health Commission and seven other government bodies, including the Ministry of Public Security and the State Administration for Market Regulation, released an action plan for a nationwide crackdown on illegal cosmetic surgery services.

According to the plan, illicit practices－including false advertising, unfair competition and the manufacture and use of drugs that do not comply with national standards－will be strictly punished.

Authorities will also clamp down on price gouging and the employment of unqualified medical staff members.