A series of beauty salons and establishments in Nghe An are operating illegally.

Check where, there are violations

In Vinh City, walking around central streets such as Nguyen Van Cu, Ngu Hai, Tran Phu, Nguyen Thai Hoc, etc., it is not difficult to come across beauty salons with impressive advertising signs.

According to the reporter's records, on these 4 routes there are dozens of beauty establishments with services of eye, lip, eyebrow tattooing, eyelid surgery, nose surgery, liposuction, breast augmentation... Most of these beauty establishments are set up under the names of spas, beauty salons, skin care, massage, phototherapy, tattooing, tattoo removal and lip and eyebrow tattooing....

A beauty salon on Nguyen Van Cu Street lacks a license in some beauty fields.

These beauty establishments openly advertise that they are ready to perform activities such as eyelid surgery, nose lift, liposuction, reduction of labia minora, labia majora, and vagina; scar removal, botox injection, filler injection, hair removal, treatment of melasma and freckles with laser... Faced with this situation, the province's interdisciplinary team made a surprise inspection of a number of spas and beauty salons in Vinh city.

During the 2 days, the inspection team including the Provincial Police and the Department of Health Inspectorate discovered many violations from "beauty" establishments: Spas, Beauty Salons. Specifically, at the Dvincy Lam Hong Beauty Institute, address: 284 Nguyen Van Cu Street. At the time of inspection, the establishment only presented a Business Registration Certificate issued by the Nghe An Department of Planning and Investment, a number of comprehensive tattoo and cosmetic embroidery certificates, and could not present a number of legal documents, invoices, vouchers, and documents proving that the establishment's operations were legal.

The inspection team inspected the Korean Beauty Salon and discovered a number of violations in its operations. Photo: TH

The delegation also discovered that this facility had many hemostatic medicine shells, painkiller injection bottles, used syringes, many bloody bandages and gloves...

In addition, the team also discovered many appointment cards for post-surgery check-ups such as: lower eyelid surgery, upper eyelid surgery, structural rhinoplasty, labiaplasty, laser hair removal. In particular, they discovered 3 syringes with drugs already taken, but the drugs were unknown; 2 boxes of unused Beautem 100U lyophilized powder for injection, this drug is indicated for temporary improvement of vertical wrinkles. This is a prescription drug and only a qualified doctor can prescribe this drug...

Dvincy Lam Hong Aesthetic Institute has not been licensed by the Department of Health to perform these services.

3 syringes were filled with medicine, but it is unknown what kind of medicine; 2 unused boxes of Beautem 100U lyophilized powder for injection were found in the refrigerator. Photo: TH

Similarly, at Quynh Huong Aesthetics facility, No. 93 Nguyen Thai Hoc, the inspection team also discovered that this facility had many Meditoxin 100u and Botulax 100 drugs of unknown origin, no import stamp, no invoice... These are prescription drugs, indicated for use in temporarily improving the appearance of vertical wrinkles and this type of drug can only be used by specialists for patients.

In addition, on the advertising leaflet of this facility, it also performs techniques that only licensed specialized facilities can perform such as: Hair removal, laser melasma treatment, face lifting, wrinkle removal, telangiectasia treatment...

At the Korean Beauty Salon, located at 255 Ha Huy Tap Street, at the time of the inspection, there were many customers performing eyebrow tattooing, lip tattooing, skin care... The owner of the facility was absent, the representative of the facility working with the delegation could only present a Business License to perform cosmetic tattooing and beauty care services issued by the People's Committee of Vinh City. On the customer records, the facility performed the following techniques: Nose lift for 13 million VND; eyelid surgery for 5 million VND; labiaplasty for 6 million VND... Explaining this, Mr. Mac Luong Long - the representative of the facility explained that "the facility only receives customers and then transfers them to Hanoi to perform the procedure to receive a percentage of commission, not performing it at the facility".

The interdisciplinary inspection team has drawn up a record, requiring the facilities not to perform procedures not licensed by the authorities, and to continue to coordinate with the team to clarify the facilities' operations.

Inadequacies in management

According to incomplete statistics of Vinh City Health Department, there are currently 74 establishments providing aesthetic services and spas in the area. Of these, only 30 establishments have declared their eligibility to provide aesthetic services to the Health Department; 44 establishments operate without declaring their eligibility to provide aesthetic services.

“Through inspections, it was found that lip and eyelid tattooing and injection facilities were operating illegally, but it was very difficult to handle because we had to catch them in the act to be able to impose penalties. The Department has not yet handled any cases because the first floor of these facilities receives patients and provides consultations; the upper floors perform procedures. When the authorities appeared, through cameras, these facilities stopped performing procedures. On the other hand, due to the thin management force, it was impossible to control and difficult to contact, inspect and handle,” said Ms. Ho Thi Hoa - Deputy Head of the Vinh City Health Department.

Many Meditoxin 100u and Botulax 100 drugs of unknown origin, no import stamp, no invoice... were discovered at Quynh Huong Cosmetic facility. Photo: TH

In 2019, the Vinh City interdisciplinary team inspected 13 beauty and spa service establishments. Administrative violations were fined 3 establishments with a total fine of 15,000,000 VND. However, the violations were only advertising beyond the scope of practice and patient records.

Mr. Tran Nguyen Truyen - Chief Inspector of Nghe An Department of Health said that currently, the owners of "beauty" establishments are confusing the scope of activities of the following types: Cosmetic services, cosmetic clinics, and cosmetic surgery hospitals. In addition, the Decree on administrative sanctions in the health sector has not been amended or supplemented to suit the actual conditions, causing difficulties in management. Up to now, in Nghe An province, regarding cosmetic surgery, the Department of Health has only licensed 3 clinics and 1 hospital licensed by the Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile, a leader of Nghe An Department of Health affirmed that it is wrong for unlicensed beauty salons to continue operating, including accepting patients and then taking them to the hospital for surgery. The responsibility for inspection and supervision lies with the Vinh City Health Department.