72-Year-Old Suddenly Spends Nearly 20,000 Yuan on "Medical Aesthetics," Gets a "Wrinkle Removal Injection," Daughter: Absolutely Shocked!

Source: Hangzhou Traffic 918

When it comes to “medical aesthetics,” many people think it’s something young or middle-aged beauty enthusiasts are particularly interested in. But not long ago, a viewer reported that a woman in her seventies was inexplicably persuaded to visit a “medical beauty clinic” for wrinkle removal, and casually spending nearly 20,000 yuan. When asked why, the elderly woman said it was voluntary. What exactly is going on? What kind of tricks are behind this? Can her family help her get justice?

Ms. Huang, 72, from Beijing, recently discovered that her usually frugal mother suddenly spent over 18,000 yuan on a “medical aesthetic” procedure, which shocked her greatly.

This elderly woman in her seventies, living simply, seems unrelated to the term “medical aesthetics.” Why would she inexplicably undergo an expensive medical beauty procedure? Ms. Huang told her daughter that it was brought about by a manager from a nearby massage parlor she was familiar with, who took her to a seminar.

Ms. Huang said that in August 2025, a manager from the massage parlor took her by taxi to a medical beauty clinic dozens of kilometers away to attend a seminar. It was supposed to be a free seminar, but somehow it involved “medical beauty” surgery.

Ms. Huang: He said I have horizontal lines on my forehead, and my skin is uneven and sunken below, which is bad for my children’s financial luck. He told me to get wrinkle removal, and it would immediately smooth out.

Ms. Huang said that at the time, the manager from the massage parlor, a feng shui master, and a consultant from the medical beauty clinic all surrounded her and kept “brainwashing” her. Worried about her daughter’s business, and despite feeling the price was a bit high, Ms. Huang still paid 18,662 yuan for this injection “wrinkle removal” procedure. The procedure took less than 2 minutes with a needle, and the wrinkle removal was done.

A simple wrinkle removal procedure cost over 18,000 yuan, and the entire process did not follow standard surgical procedures. Ms. Huang was not asked to sign an informed consent form; she simply scanned a QR code and paid. Her daughter realized her mother might have been scammed. To understand the true situation of this “medical aesthetic” procedure, the reporter and Ms. Huang’s family visited the clinic together.

Reporter: Was the feng shui seminar you attended organized by you?

Staff at Yue Mu Ding Xing Medical Beauty Clinic: No, we didn’t organize it. It was a public service, free of charge. Some people believe in this, and after listening, they decide to do medical aesthetics.

It appears that holding feng shui seminars is a new tactic used by this medical beauty clinic to attract elderly people like Ms. Huang, who are easily convinced, to undergo treatments. Ms. Huang said she did not sign any contract with the clinic at the time. What exactly was injected into her to cost over 18,000 yuan? There’s no way to verify. Why didn’t the clinic sign a formal contract or specify the details of the procedure? They explained it was a “special cooperation” between the clinic and the massage parlor manager.

The reporter found that many staff members were present at the clinic for consultations and procedures. So, is this clinic a legitimate medical beauty institution?

According to China’s “Measures for the Administration of Medical Beauty Services,” any organization or individual must obtain a medical institution license to carry out medical beauty diagnosis and treatment activities. The clinic’s sign at the entrance shows it is Yue Mu Ding Xing Medical Beauty Clinic, which claims to include medical beauty services in its scope of business. However, it clearly states that operations are to be carried out only after approval by relevant authorities. Yet, the clinic’s responsible person has not produced a valid medical institution license.

Subsequently, the reporter learned that in 2024 and 2025, the Beijing Fangshan District Health Commission issued administrative penalties to this company twice for “practicing without a medical institution license” and “practicing without a clinic filing certificate.” According to the National Health Commission’s website, as of January 2026, this clinic still had not obtained a medical institution license or completed relevant filings. The investigation also revealed that the clinic is located on the second floor of a relatively remote street, making it hard to find. So, where do the customers come from? In fact, this clinic mainly accepts clients recommended by acquaintances.

Ms. Huang’s daughter: I wanted to find out how they operate, but I was turned away. I asked if they could do a wrinkle removal for me and arrange for a mentor to see me. They kept asking who referred me, and insisted on clarifying the contact information before they would see me.

Why would a business refuse customers who come directly? It turns out that this kind of business model, where services are arranged through third-party referrals, is called “channel medical aesthetics” in the industry. Experts analyze that “channels” mainly come from three sources:

1. Staff from hair salons, beauty salons, and other personal care establishments;

2. Market personnel trained by the clinics themselves, who develop clients at various business locations;

3. Intermediaries developed through personal relationships.

In another medical beauty clinic, the reporter once communicated with a manager under the guise of a channel intermediary. The manager said that intermediaries typically earn a commission of 60% to 70% of the consultation price, which can be settled on the same day as the procedure.

With such high rebates, how much of the price is actually inflated? It is understood that one clinic provides two prices for each service: a “minimum charge” and a “60% discount price.” Near the end of the consultation, the intermediary might claim that this is a discount negotiated for the customer, encouraging them to sign up.

Many clinics also train their sales staff with scripted pitches and even intentionally create appearance-related anxiety to boost prices.

Industry insiders say: During initial consultations, they probe into your living environment and financial background, find your weaknesses, and tell stories that resonate with you.

Under these schemes, it’s difficult for people brought in by intermediaries to avoid being persuaded to spend. They even target elderly people. Feeling deceived, Ms. Huang and her family decided to seek legal remedies.

Lawyer Yue Shenshan from Yue Cheng Law Firm: Our investigation found that this clinic only had a business license in 2025 but did not have a medical institution license, which is illegal operation without proper licensing. If this information was not truthfully disclosed to consumers, it constitutes fraud.

At Ms. Huang’s request, Yue Mu Ding Xing Medical Beauty refunded her over 18,000 yuan in medical expenses. The money was returned, but this unlicensed clinic used deceptive means to perform “medical aesthetic” surgery on an elderly person. Are there stricter penalties under current law? The lawyer explains that according to Article 55 of the “Consumer Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China,” if a business provides goods or services with fraudulent behavior, they must compensate the consumer for damages, tripling the amount paid.

Lawyer Yue Shenshan: This situation falls under the Consumer Rights Protection Law, which offers special protection to consumers, including punitive damages—three times the damages. If you are a victim of fraud in consumption, whether buying goods or receiving services, you have the right to demand additional compensation.

Medical aesthetic consumers are also protected by law, and there are precedents. Recently, a woman in Beijing, Ms. Xiao, received triple compensation from a clinic. Three years ago, she went for a consultation at a medical beauty hospital for drooping ears. The hospital’s key doctor, Wang, claimed to be a “Deputy Chief Physician with 15 years of experience in a public tertiary hospital,” promising “full recording and photography of each facelift surgery to ensure zero risk.”

Ms. Xiao paid 80,000 yuan for an ear lift. Six months after surgery, she found the results significantly different from the promotion. After notarizing and preserving evidence, she sued for a refund and triple damages. The court found that Wang’s experience was mainly in private clinics and he had never worked continuously at a public tertiary hospital. In August 2025, Beijing’s Third Intermediate Court revoked the medical service contract, ordered the hospital to refund 80,000 yuan, and awarded her triple damages of 240,000 yuan.

Chen Xiaodong, head of the Civil Division of the Beijing Third Intermediate Court and a second-level senior judge: Consumption is people purchasing goods or services from others to improve their quality of life. Medical aesthetics, especially in profit-driven clinics, is a form of consumption aimed at enhancing life quality and pursuing beauty. Therefore, such activities should be considered consumer behavior under the law.

Since 2022, Beijing’s Third Intermediate Court has been the first to apply the Consumer Rights Protection Law in a medical aesthetic case, clarifying that false advertising causing harm can be subject to triple damages. This case was also selected as a typical example by the Supreme People’s Court. Many clinics previously relied on exaggerated promotion and over-treatment to maintain high profits. As legal risks increase, it will promote more honest operation in the industry.

Chen Xiaodong: The medical beauty industry in our country now has a market size of several hundred billion yuan annually. Since profit-making is allowed, and high profits are pursued, they should also bear corresponding responsibilities. This will be more fair for both sides and beneficial for the industry’s development.

These unlicensed clinics, targeting the elderly and extending their illegal activities covertly through “channel” models, can deceive one person after another. However, we also see that relevant authorities are working hard to crack down and increase the costs of illegal activities. Consumers should also strengthen their awareness of protecting their rights: first, choose legitimate institutions; second, gather as much evidence as possible to effectively safeguard their rights if problems arise.

Source: CCTV News

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