Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** This article reports on a patient complaint that prompted an investigation into an aesthetic clinic in Kaohsiung. The patient alleges that injections were administered by an unlicensed beautician. The clinic has since closed and its phone line is disconnected. We will continue to follow this developing story.
Taiwan’s SET News received a complaint from a member of the public who visited a large-scale aesthetic clinic in Kaohsiung for hyaluronic acid injections. After the procedure, the patient discovered that the person administering the injections was merely a beautician without any relevant medical license. When reporters attempted to contact the clinic for verification, they found it had already closed down, with its phone number disconnected.
Reporter Cai Qinghua from SET News reported that the beautician, surnamed Zhang, appeared professional while introducing products and explaining the effects of injections, even offering advice based on different skin conditions. She confidently discussed how to administer hyaluronic acid for better results, and during the conversation, skillfully injected the substance into the patient’s face. However, the patient later complained to SET News that Zhang lacked any medical license but was performing medical aesthetic treatments, including injections, which caused significant alarm.
According to regulations, performing cosmetic medical procedures requires a physician’s license. The complainant alleged that when she sought treatment at the aesthetic clinic, the person administering the injections was an unlicensed beautician. Following up on the provided information, reporters found that the clinic had already ceased operations, and its phone number was no longer in service.
Professional physicians warn that unlicensed individuals administering hyaluronic acid injections may lack precision in depth and placement, leading to complications. Minor issues could include facial asymmetry, while severe cases may result in vascular necrosis or embolism, and in the worst scenarios, blindness. The public is urged to be vigilant when seeking aesthetic treatments to avoid harm.