Pricing guidelines issued for cosmetic procedures

The National Healthcare Security Administration released a pricing guideline for cosmetic procedures and beauty treatments on Wednesday in an effort to regulate an industry that has ballooned to a value of nearly 300 billion yuan ($41.7 billion) but remains rife with deceptive pricing tactics.

The guideline outlines pricing standards for 101 types of plastic surgery and medical aesthetic treatments. It covers popular procedures such as dermal fillers for facial volume loss and Thermage for skin tightening, as well as more invasive operations such as breast augmentation and nasal reconstruction.

"Statistics show that the size of the nation's cosmetic surgery market reached nearly 300 billion yuan in 2024. However, irregular pricing remains a prominent problem and draws widespread criticism, such as deceptive advertisements touting low prices and charging hidden fees," the administration said.

Officials emphasized that the guideline does not change the market-regulated pricing system for cosmetic and plastic surgery. Rather, it is meant to standardize pricing categories and regulate pricing practices at medical institutions.

One key feature of the guideline is the classification of widely used aesthetic treatments under unified, standardized names. For example, filler injections now include not only hyaluronic acid — a common anti-aging agent — but also newer materials such as polylactic acid and polycaprolactone.

The administration noted that some clinics have used vague marketing terms such as "Korean-style rejuvenation". The new guideline instead groups procedures according to their underlying technologies, such as light and laser therapy, ultrasound or radio frequency.

To address the increasing demand for customized treatments, the guideline breaks down certain procedures into more specific items. For instance, lip augmentation is now subdivided into vermilion border enhancement, lip tubercle augmentation and philtrum contouring.

The guideline also addresses the needs of patients concerned about scarring from deep wounds, including women who have given birth via cesarean. Treatments for such scars often require extended care, including topical medication, pressure therapy, laser treatments or surgical revision.

"The guideline has included pricing items related to tension-reducing cosmetic suturing and incision cosmetic remodeling to encourage medical institutions to employ such techniques to minimize scar formation at the source with patient consent," the administration said.

To improve oversight and transparency, the administration began convening experts about three years ago to develop pricing standards. So far, it has released about 30 pricing guidelines covering a range of medical services, including nursing, rehabilitation, traditional Chinese medicine, assisted reproduction, and respiratory and cardiovascular care.