Discovered an underground cosmetic facility impersonating doctors, performing many dangerous services

Without a degree, a practice certificate, or any basic training, many part-time workers have become “cosmetic doctors” in spas and performed major surgeries such as liposuction, breast augmentation, etc.

Authorities caught a beauty salon at 725 Truong Dinh, Hoang Mai, Hanoi illegally performing liposuction services for customers. At the time of the inspection, the person performing liposuction for the customer confessed that he was not a medical staff member, his previous job was a bricklayer - Photo: CACC

The Internal Political Security Department (PA03) - Hanoi City Police has just discovered an illegally operating beauty salon at 725 Truong Dinh, Giap Bat Ward, Hoang Mai District.

Under the sophisticated cover of impersonating a doctor and naming the facility similar to a legitimate medical facility, this location blatantly performs a series of dangerous invasive services such as liposuction, breast lifts, anesthetic injections... despite not having a license to practice medical examination and treatment, as well as a staff with no medical expertise.

It is estimated that this facility has served hundreds of customers and illegally profited billions of dong.

The person who performed liposuction used to be a bricklayer.

At the time of the examination, a 28-year-old victim burst into tears when recounting the horrific liposuction experience at this spa and said that she was currently suffering from complications.

The truth that followed shocked the public when the person who directly performed liposuction on the customer was not a doctor, did not have any professional qualifications, but was just a common laborer, who used to work as a bricklayer. Only when the police raided the scene to check, the customer lying on the liposuction table was shocked to realize that they had been tricked!

Another victim said she spent nearly 100 million VND to have a combination of liposuction and breast lift with the promise of "doing it at a big hospital". But instead of a sterile operating room, she was taken to a cramped room with minimal medical equipment and no doctor in charge.

"They promised to finish the job in 1 hour, but from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm it was still not done. That's when I realized I was scammed. The person who did it for me said he was a hospital doctor, but I didn't see any qualifications," she recounted.

Recently, the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery - Plastic and Aesthetics, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital received a 45-year-old male patient who suffered serious complications after filler injection at a spa, with complications at risk of permanent vision loss in one eye.

The patient said that because he was male and had no experience in beauty, he did not research the service thoroughly, nor was he fully advised of the risks before the procedure. The spa staff only reassured him that "subcutaneous injections are very simple" so he agreed to have filler injections to fill and remove wrinkles on his forehead.

However, after only 2-3 injections, he experienced severe pain in his forehead, his left eye gradually blurred and then lost vision completely. Despite intensive treatment at the hospital, he could not recover vision in his left eye.

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Hong Ha, spas are only allowed to perform non-invasive services (massage, basic skin care...), not invasive minor surgery or major surgery - Photo: THANH LOAN

"Aesthetic trap" from ambiguous name, amateur "doctor"

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Hong Ha, head of the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery - Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, said: "We are receiving more and more emergency cases due to complications after cosmetic surgery. These complications come not only from invasive procedures such as surgery, breast augmentation, liposuction, abdominoplasty... but also from less invasive procedures such as filler injections, botox.

Even though it is a minor procedure, if it is not performed properly, in a sterile environment and by a specialist, the consequences can still be very serious."

A worrying fact is that many complications come from unlicensed medical facilities, which can be spas, even barber shops, hair salons. There, minimally invasive procedures are performed by non-doctors, without medical knowledge, without the skills to handle complications, which is extremely dangerous.

How to identify a legal and qualified cosmetic facility

According to Associate Professor Ha, he noticed that there is a common confusion among people about choosing a cosmetic facility. Many people trust advertisements without checking clearly whether the facility is licensed to practice medicine or not, or whether there is a specialist doctor in charge.

Only facilities such as specialized clinics, medical centers or hospitals are licensed by the Ministry of Health or health department to perform cosmetic procedures legally and safely.

Associate Professor Ha added that a legal facility that performs invasive services must be a specialized cosmetic surgery clinic or a licensed cosmetic hospital, have doctors with specialized certificates, a sterile operating room, and a standard emergency resuscitation system.

Spas are only allowed to perform non-invasive services (massage, basic skin care...).

Cosmetic clinics are allowed to perform invasive surgeries such as eyelid surgery, nose lift, filler injections, but they must be performed by a licensed doctor. Only cosmetic hospitals are allowed to perform major surgeries such as breast augmentation, liposuction, buttock augmentation, etc.

How to identify a legal and qualified cosmetic facility

People can look up the doctor's name on the Department of Health Portal to verify their qualifications. A reputable facility must have a sterile operating room, full medical equipment, a clear sign, and an operating license from the Ministry/Department of Health.

"Lack of knowledge or subjective psychology when choosing a cosmetic facility can lead to serious, even irreversible consequences. Don't let the desire to change your appearance become the price you have to pay with your health, or even your life" - Dr. Ha warned.

THANH LOAN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/phat-hien-co-so-tham-my-chui-mao-danh-bac-si-thuc-hien-nhieu-dich-vu-nguy-hiem-20250627080338025.htm