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Non-invasive beauty procedures are increasingly popular, but clinical evidence indicates that complications can occur—sometimes severely—when treatments are performed at facilities that do not meet hygiene standards. Health authorities and medical specialists have warned that the growing trend of “non-medical” aesthetics is raising risks for patients, including infections, tissue damage, and vision-threatening events.
The National Dermatology Hospital recently admitted a woman in her late 20s with swelling and pain in the right cheek that persisted for about a month after she underwent thread-lifting in the cheek area at a spa. After the procedure, she was treated with Augmentin at a dose of 2 g per day for two weeks. However, her symptoms did not improve and instead became more pronounced.
Ultrasound findings showed lesions in the dermis layer, including a hypoechoic structure with a foreign body inside and surrounding fat infiltration. Doctors diagnosed subcutaneous tissue inflammation with a foreign body, most likely linked to the thread materials used. The foreign body was removed after admission.
Central-level hospitals also handle multiple cosmetic-surgery complications daily, including critical cases. Some patients have been admitted after filler injections that caused pallor in the eyelid area and severely reduced vision. Doctors diagnosed filler-induced vascular occlusion and carried out urgent intervention with an antidote.
In another case, an 18-year-old girl (B.A.) from Hanoi previously received lip filler. To reduce the amount of filler, she went to a spa for a dissolving agent. After only one week, her lips became severely inflamed with pus and deformity.
Dr. Nguyen Trong Nghia of the Department of Dermatology and Burns at Bach Mai Hospital said ultrasound results showed a large abscess more than 2 cm deep in soft tissue. Microbiological culture identified Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium commonly associated with non-sterile medical instruments. Given the risk of permanent necrosis, doctors proceeded with emergency treatment and used high-dose antibiotics to control the infection.
At the May 12 conference on Safety in Aesthetics: From Legal to Medical Practice Standards in Ho Chi Minh City, Dr. Dao Van Sinh, Head of the Ministry of Health’s Office in Ho Chi Minh City, noted that demand for beauty services has expanded the range of offerings. He said Vietnam’s beauty market has reached billions of USD and continues to grow at a double-digit rate each year.
However, the growth is accompanied by safety concerns. Industry reports indicate that Vietnam records about 25,000–35,000 complication cases each year, representing roughly 10–14% of the total 250,000 cosmetic surgeries.
Many incidents occur at unlicensed facilities or involve practitioners without medical qualifications. Medical experts said the consequences extend beyond physical harm, creating psychological and economic costs for patients, including lifelong sequelae and, in some cases, death.
Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Thanh Van, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Plastic Surgery, said cosmetic complications are becoming a public health concern in Vietnam. She reported that nasal-area complications account for the highest share at 42.6%, followed by facial complications at about 20%, and chest complications at about 18%.
Dr. Nguyen Thanh Van also highlighted that penalties for cosmetic-violation facilities are not strong enough to deter repeat offenses. She said administrative fines do not match the profits involved, and that even after license revocation, some operators can reopen new facilities at the same location under a different name.
She proposed that criminal liability should apply to unlicensed facilities and individuals who inject fillers or perform invasive cosmetic procedures, rather than relying only on fines. The proposal also included enforcement against livestream tutorials and other activities linked to unqualified procedures.
For consumers, doctors advised remembering the “4 rights”: the right licensed facility; the right specialist; the right product with a clear origin; and the right to emergency treatment for complications.
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