Press Room

Recently, a new medical beauty project called the "Orgasm Needle" caused a storm on the Chinese internet. 

The merchant claimed that "the orgasm needle is designed to inject collagen into sensitive points in the female vagina to enhance the sexual experience, and there are no side effects". Online, it was said that medical beauty facilities in Chengdu, Shanghai and other places were fully booked, and that the cost of a single treatment was 3,000-8,000 yuan. 

However, experts were quick to say that the "orgasm needle" is a kind of private parts injector packaged by merchants, and there is currently no definitive research in the academic community to confirm its effectiveness. The injection process can also cause tissue damage and infection, and there is a risk of embolism. The safety and efficacy are questionable, and consumers need to be rational and cautious; some industry insiders also said that the "orgasm needle" is more like a "placebo" or "normal saline", the effect is not obvious but the price is high, and it is not an exaggeration to call it an "IQ tax".

Since 2010, the medical beauty industry in Asia has entered a period of rapid development, and a large number of private institutions have emerged. "Chaos" can be said to be the deepest impression that the medical beauty industry has left on people for more than 10 years. Even after 2020, the market has gradually become standardised and medical beauty has been accepted by more and more people, but negative news still appears from time to time.

On 4 May, Young Post Readers published an article entitled "Should cosmetic procedures be banned for people under the age of 18?" in the South China Morning Post, sharing the very different views of two Hong Kong teenagers.

Opposition - A 16-year-old girl from a secondary school in Hong Kong

She pointed out that the purpose of cosmetic surgery is to change the patient's body shape, image and quality of life, but for teenagers, the decision to have cosmetic surgery is often closely related to seeking approval from others and social acceptance, which distorts the original purpose of these surgeries.

Many teenagers fail to seriously consider all the potential medical risks of surgery. Suitable candidates should be mentally prepared, mature and stable, understand the surgical procedure, risks and post-operative limitations, and therefore wait until they are 18 years old to undergo surgery.

In South Korea, it is common for young K-pop idol trainees to undergo cosmetic surgery, not because they want to, but because of pressure from their management companies. Requests for cosmetic surgery should come from young people themselves, not be coerced, and therefore we need to enact laws to draw a clear line between adults and minors.

A report from the US National Library of Medicine makes it clear: teenagers care a lot about what their peers think. Standing out from the crowd can take a heavy toll on their self-esteem. Some argue that early surgery can reduce pain later on. However, changing your appearance or body to fit in with society's standards of beauty, to please your partner, to win love or approval, is a losing game.

Plastic surgery doesn't guarantee happiness. A Norwegian study of 1,500 teenagers found that about 5% had had plastic surgery. Many already suffer from depression, anxiety or eating problems. Plastic surgery doesn't solve these problems.

Supermodel and Palestinian rights activist Bella Hadid told Vogue she regretted having a nose job at the age of 14: 

"I wish I had my ancestors' noses. I think I could look like them."

Liposuction itself is not as miraculous as it seems. For example, some people are reportedly unhappy with their liposuction because they feel that too little fat has been removed.

Cosmetic surgery should not be performed on anyone under the age of 18. Cosmetic surgery should not be a risky move for teenagers, especially for the sake of looking good. Without proper guidance, they may make impulsive decisions and end up regretting them.

Instead, we should teach teenagers the benefits of delayed gratification: learn to wait and gradually become comfortable with your own features. Let confidence come from your true self, not from your appearance. If we allow teenagers to seek satisfaction through cosmetic surgery, we are encouraging this instinct.

Instead of saying, "Sure, change yourself," we should say, "You are good enough.

Support - A 15-year-old boy from a secondary school in Hong Kong

Cosmetic surgery remains a taboo subject. Some have argued for a strict ban on cosmetic surgery for under-18s, arguing that young people are not mature enough to make such an important decision about their bodies. But I disagree.

An absolute ban is not a viable solution because it fails to recognise the complexity of each individual case. 

One of the main reasons for this is the principle of personal autonomy. Teenagers, like everyone else, have the right to make decisions about their bodies.

For a long time, cosmetic surgery has often been seen as superficial, suggesting that those who undergo it are too focused on appearance rather than inner beauty. We need to challenge these harmful assumptions and recognise that the motivations behind seeking cosmetic surgery are often deeply personal and multi-faceted.

A variety of factors can contribute to this decision, including mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Appropriate cosmetic treatments can, for example, promote mental healing.

Such is the case with Auggie, the protagonist of the 2017 film Wonder, based on the novel of the same name by RJ Palacio. Auggie is a teenager who was born with a rare facial condition called mandibular-facial dysostosis, also known as Treacher Collins syndrome. He was bullied mercilessly because of his unique appearance.

For people like Auggie, cosmetic surgery can be more than just a cosmetic fix, but an important step in regaining self-esteem and confidence. Physical changes can profoundly alter how they perceive themselves and how others perceive them, significantly improving their quality of life.

Today, teenagers are increasingly empowered to make decisions about their bodies and their lives, and denying them the right to choose cosmetic surgery will undoubtedly undermine their autonomy and ignore their ability to think critically and identify with themselves.

Cosmetic surgery should not be banned for people under the age of 18.

Instead, society should work to create an atmosphere of informed choice and ensure that all minors have access to appropriate counselling and support.

This will help them to make better choices. Young people need to consider their appearance and we should recognise their self-esteem and identity.

For limited medical beauty projects such as "orgasm injections", if the operating institutions are not regulated, there is a high probability that there will be news of underage girls receiving these injections. Medical beauty today is like the internet in the early 20th century. It is a double-edged sword, with revolutionary advances but also bubbles, chaos and ethical dilemmas. How can medical beauty technology be prevented from becoming a "beauty trap", so that consumers can find a balance between safety and efficacy? If medical beauty makes "becoming beautiful" too easy, will society move from "judging people by their looks" to "judging people by medical beauty"? Can medical beauty pre-establish a healthy ecology? If these sharp questions can be addressed calmly, perhaps medical beauty can truly turn disadvantages into advantages.

Finally, to return to the title of this article, "Why do many people still think that medical aesthetics is unreasonable?", it may be worthwhile for any practitioner involved to reflect on this.