Experts warn of the risks of cosmetic injections. Anwar Amro/Agence France-Presse?

Chinese consumers are paying more attention to beauty-enhancing products and services, but they may not be making the right choices, or protecting themselves from illegal cosmetic procedures, according to experts.

The vast China market is filled with a lot of misinformation, according to Galderma, a dermatology group in Switzerland, which is leading the campaign to make consumers better aware of safety and choices.

In the past 10 years, 200,000 faces have been ruined because of the incompetence of illegal service providers, according to Ding Xiaobang, a surgeon at the Plastic Surgery Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Science.

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"Many people are unaware that medical cosmetic treatments, either surgical or non-surgical, are defined as invasive treatments, and only qualified institutes and professionals are allowed to carry out the procedures," says Qi Zuoliang, a cosmetic surgeon with Shanghai No 9 People's Hospital, who has 30 years of professional experience in facial reconstruction.

Qi says he has treated a lot of patients who had cosmetic injections in unqualified beauty salons, an acquaintance's home or even in a hotel and became severely disfigured.

Some people blindly believe in recommendations by acquaintances or illegal advertisements, and they think the injections are of good quality or at least harmless. Others receive cosmetic injections casually, without weighing the benefits and risks, Qi adds.

"There are also people who are clueless about the differences in the types of injections, and often take for granted that what works for others may be suitable for them," says Wu Lingyan, a dermatology consultant with a branch company of Galderma.

The most prevailing misconception is that many people think permanent cosmetic injections are better than non-permanent ones.

Actually, permanent fillers have bigger risks. Once they cause problems, such as allergies or infections, they are very difficult to remove and may cause disfiguration.

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On the other side, non-permanent fillers are safer, because they can be absorbed and are less likely to leave alien agents inside the body that may cause discomfort.

"It's important to know where to go for cosmetic injections or other procedures," Qi says.

"We hope every person chasing after a more beautiful appearance is able to access the right service in a qualified hospital or clinic."

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