As the Lunar New Year approaches, the demand for beauty treatments is surging. However, many women have had unpleasant experiences at low – quality spas. For instance, H.P from Khanh Hoa province has been shuttling back and forth between HCMC and her hometown for several months to treat complications from beauty therapy.
Four months ago, P. had laser treatment on her lips at a spa near her home. A few days later, hard scars formed on her upper lip. When she smiles, it causes pain and stiffness.
P. said, “After I noticed the problems, I contacted the spa. They reassured me that the wound would return to normal in a week. But as the situation didn’t improve, I complained again. At that time, the spa staff injected a scar – softening medication, claiming it was a product from Korea.”
After several months, the scar hardened further. When she smiles, it becomes an unsightly blemish on her face. She decided to visit HCM City for a medical consultation and was shocked to find out that she had an aesthetic complication.
Dr Nguyen Thi Phan Thuy, Director of the HCM City Dermatology Hospital, said that the hospital receives an average of 200 – 500 patients annually who suffer complications after cosmetic surgeries.
These complications are due to inadequate infection control, lack of professional skills, as well as unverified or damaged equipment. Most of these cases occur at illegal or unlicensed beauty establishments.
Vu Huu Thinh from the HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital recalled a patient in her 30s (from HCM City) who was hospitalized on New Year’s Eve with her buttocks discharging fluid.
Thinh said, “The patient wanted to enhance her buttocks using filler injections at a nearby spa. A few days later, her buttocks became hard, painful, and began to ooze pus. By the time she sought emergency care, an abscess had formed in her gluteal area. We had to perform surgery to deal with the abscess and closely monitored her health throughout the Lunar New Year.”
Thinh said that the demand for beauty treatments has been increasing steadily in recent years. At his hospital, most clients now have to wait about a week for surgery dates, while previously they could be treated on the same or the next day.
According to the doctor, clients seeking aesthetic therapy just before Tet can be mainly divided into two groups.
The first group desires quick treatment to become more beautiful during the Tet holiday. They are mostly advised to undergo non – surgical aesthetic treatments that can show results in 1 – 2 weeks. The second group has surgery before Tet and plans to have post – surgery rest during the Tet days. These people often have more facial surgeries or multiple operations.
Another group consists of overseas Vietnamese. They often return home for the New Year to have beauty treatments because of Vietnam’s affordable costs, skilled doctors, and advanced technology.
Pham Hieu Liem, Head of the Aesthetic Surgery Department at the HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, noted that the end of the year is the time chosen by many people for beauty services.
The doctor explained, “Some people have cosmetic surgery several months before the New Year. Others choose treatments just weeks before.”
Many people want to have multiple cosmetic surgeries at once, such as eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty, liposuction, or breast augmentation.
This has certain advantages, such as minimizing the number of surgeries and the time for postoperative care. However, having too many procedures at once can lead to complications.
Instead of having numerous procedures simultaneously, people should choose less invasive options and have surgery procedures one by one. People should choose reputable facilities with specialties and skilled doctors who understand their needs and physical conditions. This can optimize the results and minimize unwanted risks.
Thinh stressed that all aesthetic therapies cannot yield immediate results. Therefore, he recommended having cosmetic surgery at least three months before the desired result to allow the body to heal for the best outcome.
According to Ho Van Han, Chief Inspector of the HCM City Department of Health, there are 37 cosmetic hospitals, 31 departments of aesthetic surgery in various hospitals in HCM City, 290 specialized dermatology clinics, and 414 specialized dermatology offices.
In addition, there are 3,891 non – medical beauty service establishments (including spas and skincare facilities). These non – medical beauty service establishments are licensed by districts, urban districts, and the Department of Planning and Investment.
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