In the days leading up to Tet, surfing Facebook or TikTok, it is not difficult to see a series of "transformed" videos, livestreams with filler injections, skin peels, and rejuvenation after just one treatment. Beauty establishments compete to launch incentives, committing to "fast beauty, safety, no pain", defeating the mentality of many women to change their appearance before the New Year. However, in reality, many people have paid a heavy price for being too confident in advertising.
Beauty is advertised, receive health worries
After giving birth, Ms. Phan Anh Tuyet (Phu Tho) faced dark skin, melasma, and a thin face due to frequently staying up late to take care of her child. Seeing a beauty facility on Facebook continuously posting promotional videos, showing off its "huge" income, she decided to go to Hanoi in the hope of improving her beauty.
"Listening to the restaurant advertisement is very famous, the spa owner often filmed beauty videos for customers. But when it arrived, it was just a small spa on the 2nd floor of an apartment building in Tay Mo ward. The owner of the facility introduced high-quality fillers but they were actually hand-carried goods, without invoices. She herself did not study medicine, only learned a trade through a few spa classes, Ms. Tuyet said.
Fearing the risk, Ms. Tuyet did not dare to get a filler but only bought a biological skin peel package for 5 million VND for 10 sessions. However, after 4 sessions of use, the skin did not improve as advertised. "If you lose money, the efficiency is almost zero" - she said.
From a 1 million VND package to a 120 million VND bill
The case of Ms. Nguyen Thoa (Hai Phong - character name has been changed) is even more serious. Believing the advertisement of a foreign-named beauty facility in Dai La area (Hanoi) with a "badminton detox" service of just over 1 million VND, Ms. Thoa decided to go to Hanoi for treatment.
"A Facebook advertisement says detox and inflammation treatment is only 1 million VND. But when arriving, the doctor advised him to use anti- whole graft therapy for 13 million VND, then cut the baby's lips for 7 million VND. After signing the paper on the surgical table, another doctor said that I had hyperinflammation and needed an additional 30 million VND for treatment, Ms. Thoa recounted.
Not stopping there, during the intervention, she was informed that she had "unexpectedly discovered a toad tumor" and was asked to spend an additional 120 million VND to thoroughly handle it. "I was really shocked, I felt like I was blatantly scammed just because I lacked knowledge and believed too much in online advertising" - Ms. Thoa was upset.
undercover spa, doctors "iding" and scaring tricks
According to the reporter of Lao Dong Newspaper at some beauty facilities in Hanoi, many spas operate in apartments, vague signs, and staff do not have medical practice certificates. Invasion services such as filler injections, essential culture, and closed-end interventions are still being carried out publicly.
Worryingly, many establishments use the "dygnosis" trick to scare customers, thereby forcing them to buy high-priced service packages. Consumers, in a state of worrying about their health and beauty, easily nodded their heads to sign the acceptance letter without having time to research carefully.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Hong Ha - Head of the Department of maxillofacial, plastic and cosmetic surgery, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital - many non-professionals still believe that all types of fillers are safe, and injections in all areas of the face are harmless. However, the frontal area, nasal cavity, and around the eyes are sensitive areas. If the fillers enter the blood vessels, they will cause blockage, necrosis, infection, and even blindness.
Beauty is unsafe, especially when trusting "famous spa". Compulsory filler injection procedures must be performed by a doctor with in-depth expertise in facial pathology and injection techniques. People need to be alert, only choose facilities licensed by the Ministry of Health to avoid serious consequences, even unable to treat.
