The advertisements of most cosmetic centers in Ho Chi Minh City are fake, according to a brief survey of Tuoi Tre journalists.

The centers brag that they are either the first in Vietnam to use the cosmetic technology of South Korea, or the only place in Vietnam cooperating with advanced cosmetic centers throughout the world. Others flaunt that they are ‘the leading cosmetic center in Vietnam’, ‘the most famous and prestigious unit in Vietnam,’ a ‘center following international standards with famous surgeons from the US, Japan, South Korea, and Australia’, etc.

It is easy to recognize that their ads are fake after checking their licenses and what they advertise on their websites.

Some units are registered as ‘cosmetic consulting rooms’ on their license but falsely advertise themselves on their websites as ‘hospital clinics’. Even worse, many cosmetic centers in the city have no surgeons, only consultation staff.

When asked to speak with a surgeon at a ‘cosmetic clinic’, a consultant told Tuoi Tre, “Our surgeons are very busy because each of them operates so many cases a day [and so are unable to speak with customers.]”

Regulations state that “surgeons must directly consult all of their customers before performing a surgery after consultants give them the general information,” said cosmetic surgeon Hiep Loi.

Public violations

The false advertising, scamming, and even denial of responsibility by ‘cosmetic clinics’ are partly the result of a lack of appropriate regulations and the ignorance of relevant authorities.

A cosmetic consulting room is only licensed to offer cosmetic services for eyelashes, eyelids, eyebrows, hair, lips, acne treatment, cheeks, and noses. But the centers expand their services illegally, offering services to remove belly fat, operate on nipples and chins, and whiten skin. These services are publicly advertised on their websites.

Some centers even boast on their websites that they have the latest US endoscopy technology for breast enlargement.

Besides introducing services that are not licensed, the ‘cosmetic clinics’ brag that they employ famous surgeons from South Korea, Japan, and the US. They are undoubtedly lying.

A surgeon confirmed to Tuoi Tre that there is absolutely no cosmetic surgeon from the advanced nations who would travel to Vietnam to work at these private ‘cosmetic centers.’ “If you want a Korean surgeon to operate on you, there is only one way: to go to South Korea,” he stressed.

In South Korea, a normal cosmetic surgery costs US$5,000 – 7,000 a case, he added. In Vietnam, the prices are lower, regardless of the costs of transport and accommodation for foreign experts.

“I studied cosmetics in South Korea and believe that a qualified Korean surgeon would never come to Vietnam,” he said.

A surgey on the nose of a patient at a cosmetic center (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

Denial of responsibility

Many cosmetic centers in Vietnam deny responsibility of a failed surgery, often claiming that ‘The South Korean surgeon who operated on you left Vietnam and he, not our center, is responsible for your case.’

A staff member of a cosmetic unit in Go Vap District told Tuoi Tre that ‘cosmetic clinics’ also use medicine without the appropriate certificate of origin.

The clinic owners claim it is the best and the staff always tells customers this.

Many Vietnamese expats (Viet Kieu) are not aware of the lack of regulations in Vietnam, and trust the clinics. As a result, they fall victim to boastful advertisements and risk damaging their health and beauty.

Actually, what Viet Kieu suffers from the most is something even worse.

(To be continued)