Who is advocating ＂anti-aging after 18 years old＂？
● With the popularity of the medical beauty industry, many young people are willing to pay for beauty. However, in order to seize the market and expand the passenger flow, some medical and aesthetic institutions wantonly sell appearance anxiety and age anxiety in their propaganda, advocating that "the earlier the anti-aging is, the better" and "anti-aging after the age of 18", which leads young people who are eager for beauty to blindly do medical beauty and ignore their real needs.
● Many medical advertisements promote "anti-senility" and "anti-senility should be early". Most products define "anti-senility" as 20 to 25 years old, and some even as low as 18 years old. Some advertisements define "senility" by some common and broad skin conditions, such as large pores, loose skin and crow’s feet.
● Some medical and beauty institutions offer "low price" and "ultra-low price" to let young people walk into beauty salons, but when they actually consume, they are induced by the store to add money to place an order. On the surface, merchants give profits to consumers, but in reality there may be hidden charges or offline sales promotion, etc., which will increase the unit price of customers and increase income.
● Consumers should choose regular medical and beauty institutions and refuse to follow suit blindly. The regulatory authorities should intensify efforts to crack down on the illegal provision of medical beauty services, pay close attention to key areas, strictly control medical beauty services in all directions, and publicize the phenomenon of spreading to minors and school students.
"All kinds of apps are pushing me medical beauty advertisements for anti-aging projects, claiming ‘ The sooner you resist aging, the better ’ 。” Lin Ya, a graduate student from a university in Haidian District, Beijing, recently told the reporter of the Rule of Law Daily that she was still very young in her early twenties, but according to the advertisement of medical beauty, it was time to "resist aging and aging". Seeing too many such advertisements makes people feel anxious.
What Lin Ya spits out is the common phenomenon that the medical beauty anti-aging and anti-aging project "stares" at young people. The reporter’s investigation found that at present, many medical and beauty institutions are advertising: "It is a little late to resist senility at the age of 25, and people begin to age after the age of 18, and the earlier the anti-senility, the better." "From the age of 20, the collagen in the skin is decreasing at a rate of 1% every year, and the skin enters a stage of natural aging" … …
With the popularity of medical beauty industry, many young people are willing to pay for beauty. According to the Insight Report of China Medical Beauty Industry in 2023, the average age of the potential consumers of medical beauty interviewed is 28 years old, of which 75% are under 30 years old; Among people under the age of 25, 29% plan to increase medical expenses or try more projects in 2023. In this context, many businesses focus on young people. However, in order to seize the market and expand the passenger flow, some medical and beauty institutions wantonly sell appearance anxiety and age anxiety in their propaganda, advocating that "the earlier the anti-aging is, the better" and "anti-aging after the age of 18", which leads young people who are eager for beauty to blindly do medical beauty and ignore their real needs.
What propaganda methods are used by medical and beauty institutions that "stare" at young people? Is it reasonable to attract consumers with appearance anxiety and age anxiety? Are there any problems with advertising words such as "anti-aging as early as possible" strongly declared by institutions? The reporter conducted an investigation and interview on this.
Linking age with medical beauty
Claim that the earlier the anti-aging is, the better.
"The medical beauty project is very popular recently, and the advertisement suggests that the age of anti-aging is around 25 years old." After seeing such advertisements many times, Zhao Ting, a 24-year-old from Xicheng, Beijing, was deeply impressed. She immediately chose a "reliable-looking" medical and beauty institution on an online shopping software, and telephoned two beauty consultants in the store.
Two beauty consultants recommended different anti-aging projects to Zhao Ting, one recommended Gemaji (cost over 10,000 yuan) and the other recommended ultrasonic gun (cost several thousand yuan), and both suggested that she come to the store early.
"During the face-to-face consultation, the clerk said that my face was fleshy, suitable for firming the skin with ultrasonic cannons, and it also had the effect of dissolving fat, and this project ‘ It can show 20% effect on the spot, and the effect will get better and better, reaching the best after one month ’ 。” Zhao Ting recalled that the clerk repeatedly stressed that people will get old after the age of 18, so the sooner they resist aging, the better. If they resist aging at the age of 20, they will look similar to those at the age of 30.
Under the attack of the clerk’s left sentence "Your face will age quickly if it doesn’t resist aging in time" and the right sentence "Ultrasonic cannon is the most cost-effective for you", Zhao Ting immediately spent several thousand yuan to make an ultrasonic cannon. However, after finishing the ultrasonic cannon, she felt that her face had not changed, but her face had been hurting for almost half a month. Now, pressing the top of the mandibular margin still has obvious pain.
Recalling that time, Zhao Ting bluntly said that he was fooled by the clerk, not only believed in the concept of "anti-aging while young", but also planned to be an ultrasonic cannon and even hot Maggie for a long time, and even began to plan anti-aging after the age of 30. "The clerk said that it is not enough to do photoelectric projects after the age of 30. Surgery and some injection projects are recommended. Calm down and think about it. The so-called medical beauty and anti-aging make people seem to fall into a bottomless pit. "
Recently, the reporter consulted several medical and beauty institutions about "what projects can keep skin white and tender in the early 20 s", and many institutions recommended anti-aging projects: some recommended hot Maggie; Some recommend ultrasonic cannons and say that "this one is the hottest"; Only one told the reporter that "in the early twenties, there is no need to do medical beauty anti-aging projects for the time being, and it is recommended to do skin care at ordinary times." "In terms of medical beauty, we can consider doing some basic skin rejuvenation and injection hydration projects, and then anti-aging after four or five years."
The reporter searched some medical beauty advertisements and found that there are many advertisements promoting "anti-senility" and "anti-senility should be early". Most products define "anti-senility" as 20 to 25 years old, and some even as low as 18 years old. Some advertisements said that "although it is suggested to fight against senility at the age of 25, there is no clear division in medicine", and then "senility" is defined by some common and broad skin conditions: "If you have the following situations, you can put anti-senility on the agenda: when you are plain, your facial pores are thick, dry and dull; Collagen loss, skin feels loose and inelastic; When making larger expressions, there are crow’s feet, head-lifting lines, brow lines and so on. "
Many interviewees think that there is a problem with this kind of publicity. "Listed these symptoms, ordinary people basically have, even if not, under this hint, will also feel that they have. When you are in your twenties, you will take big projects to fight against aging. What should you do when you are 30 or 40? If you have dark circles, you should go to bed early, eat healthily and adjust your life, instead of playing ‘ Panda needle ’ (a medical beauty project to solve the dull pigment around the eyes and the filling around the eyes) and do various anti-aging projects around the eyes. " Ms. Wang from Jinan, Shandong Province said.
"It is not advisable for young people in their twenties to resist aging excessively. Human aging is determined by telomeres, and there is no aging problem in themselves when they are young. At present, some young people’s anti-aging is mainly caused by the flicker of medical and aesthetic institutions, which leads to anxiety. Excessive anti-aging will have an adverse impact on the body and is also a waste of resources. " Ms. Zhang, the chief physician of the Department of Internal Medicine of a 3A hospital in Zaozhuang City, Shandong Province, said.
Attracting young customers at low prices
Multiple words attract orders.
The reporter found that in addition to inducing young people to consume with "anti-aging, the sooner the better", there are also some medical and beauty institutions that play "low price" and "ultra-low price" to attract young people into beauty salons.
Not long ago, the reporter saw in a medical beauty hospital in Chaoyang District, Beijing that due to various low-priced promotional activities launched during the "double 11" period, customers came to write off in an endless stream. This store is not small in scale, but because of too many people, 20 chairs have been temporarily placed in the lobby of the store. Customers wait in the lobby first, wait for their names and numbers, and then go to another room to confirm the consumption package with the clerk.
Zhang Yun, 25, is one of them. "I saw the promotion activities of this medical and beauty institution on social software, and the price was very attractive. Seven or eight projects added up to 99 yuan, with an average of only a dozen yuan each. I paid according to the instructions and went to the store for verification on the first day." Zhang Wei told reporters.
After waiting in the lobby for nearly half an hour, Zhang Yun was finally called to write off, but the write-off was only the "beginning". "The clerk gave me a preferential price list and said that I would write off the package today and these ‘ Powerful offer ’ I am advised not to miss it. Then I began to guide me to read various items on the preferential price list. " Zhang Yun said, "I have been recommended for many projects. Because I have never done a medical beauty project before, all kinds of unfamiliar terms give me a headache. The clerk stared at my face, and her burning eyes made my heart beat faster. She asked me my age. After I told her that I was 25, she immediately gave me a surprised look and said ‘ Did you first come into contact with medical beauty at the age of 25 ’ He also said that he is a few years older than me, but because of the medical beauty project, his skin condition is much better. I felt anxious at once. "
Zhang Yun said that because her skin belongs to sensitive muscles, she once thought that she was not suitable for medical beauty projects. This time, she only wanted to "bonus hunter". In the end, the wool didn’t ripen, but contributed business. "I want to write off 99 yuan’s card first, and then go home and ask my friends before deciding whether to buy more. However, the clerk told me that there is only one discount opportunity, and the price on the discount price list can only be enjoyed in the store on the spot. ‘ This price is a sincere discount. It’s a pity to miss it. It may take another year ’ ‘ These are all suitable for sensitive muscles, and it’s not too late for you to start now ’ . In the end, I spent more than 3,000 yuan on two projects. "
"Low-priced promotions attract mostly young people who have never been exposed to medical beauty programs, such as the Student Party. Looking around, 80% of the girls on that day looked almost as big as me, even younger than me. Some young people don’t have much balance and have to pay by credit card. " Zhang Wei said.
Zhang Yun’s experience is not a case. Recently, the reporter searched for keywords such as "medical beauty", "low price" and "selling anxiety" on social platforms and third-party complaint platforms, and found that many young people were attracted by low-priced medical beauty projects, but they were actually induced by the store to add money to place orders with multiple words. For example, a consumer complained that the store released a low-priced package on a shopping platform and used the group purchase link to "fish". The consumer was attracted by the low price displayed by the store on the platform. After arriving at the store, the supervisor said that "there is no beautician who can provide services for the time being", but he did not provide the services purchased by the consumer, but promoted various other medical and aesthetic projects to him.
"The starting price for card recharge is 5,000 yuan. The store told me that the card is cost-effective on the same day, which can offset the consumption of 1,080 yuan on the same day and give extra items. If I choose not to apply for a card, I can’t enjoy the preferential price and can only pay the bill at the original price. In the end, my mind was hot and I got a card under the guidance. " The consumer said, "I regret it now. Merchants attract consumers by means of low-cost drainage, and then induce me to recharge."
"After medical and beauty institutions attract consumers at low prices, the behavior of asking for more money and raising orders in disguise is suspected of fraud, false propaganda, and infringement of consumers’ right to know. On the surface, they give profits to consumers. In fact, there may be hidden charges or offline sales promotion, etc., to increase customer unit prices and increase income." Zheng Zhongchen, senior partner of Beijing Lutong Law Firm, said.
Strong supervision and good qualification
Rectify the chaos of medical and beauty advertisements
Are the related slogans such as "Young and Anti-aging" reasonable?
Fang Zinan, a lawyer of Guangdong Global Jingwei Law Firm, believes that similar slogans such as "25-year-old anti-aging" involve the guiding issue of advertising. Medical and beauty businesses can certainly provide services for young customers, but it is suggested to start with more positive publicity and use the method of making concept impact carefully. "Advocating anti-aging from the age of 25 or even younger, or even artificial invention ‘ Old age ’ The concept of "beauty" is inevitably suspected of creating appearance anxiety, which is contrary to the value orientation contained in the advertising law and the Law Enforcement Guide for Medical Beauty Advertising. "
He told reporters that the use of the concept of "anti-aging" itself is also very easy to be identified as false propaganda or false advertising and other illegal situations. According to the Law Enforcement Guide of Medical Beauty Advertisements issued by the State Administration of Market Supervision, medical beauty advertisements cannot guarantee or promise its diagnosis and treatment effect in the form of advertisements. The promotion of "anti-aging" without explanation is easy to be understood as drawing an equal sign between the project implementation and the established effect, which is already illegal. In fact, even if there is a way to slow down or even eliminate some appearance features caused by aging through medical beauty projects, this therapeutic effect can be accurately described by diluting fine lines, freckle and other concepts, which are still two different concepts from promoting "anti-aging".
"Oral publicity in the offline business premises of staff should be understood as a part of sales activities, which does not exist independently of sales activities, and belongs to the category of commercial publicity, which is regulated by the anti-unfair competition law and the consumer protection law rather than the advertising law." Fang Zinan said that both publicity and advertising should strictly prevent overstepping the boundaries between false publicity and advertising, and consciously safeguard good social morality and avoid harming consumers’ interests. Taking "anti-aging after the age of 18" as an example, young consumers who advocate that most of their economies are not yet independent, their thoughts are not fully mature, and they are still on campus need to fight aging early, which is suspected of misleading consumers and objectively poses the risk of unfair competition behavior of false propaganda.
So what should consumers pay attention to before doing medical beauty projects?
Zheng Zhongchen suggested that consumers should choose regular medical and beauty institutions, refuse to blindly follow the trend, and be vigilant and discerning about advertisements of top medical and beauty institutions searched on the Internet, "notes on planting grass" of medical beauty seen on short video platforms or "successful cases" shared by netizens on social platforms.
Fang Zinan believes that consumers should grasp several principles when carrying out medical beauty projects: do what they can, and don’t spend ahead of time; Understanding medical beauty is only a personalized choice based on personal aesthetics, and it is not affected by the appearance anxiety of deliberate marketing; When personal cognitive ability is not yet mature and the development path is still uncertain, medical beauty projects should be carefully purchased; Safety first, refuse to carry out medical and aesthetic projects in unqualified private institutions, do not use any unknown drugs and projects that have not been filed in China, and projects involving subcutaneous injection and knife operation should be carried out in hospitals with qualified medical qualifications.
"The market supervision department should do a good job in the registration management service of business entities, strengthen the qualification examination, and strengthen ‘ Certificate ’ ‘ Photo ’ Information sharing, vigorously promote coordinated supervision by departments, increase law enforcement, rectify all kinds of medical beauty advertisements in accordance with the law, and focus on cracking down on problems that are harmful and concentrated by the masses. " Zheng Zhongchen said.
Fang Yinan also mentioned that in view of the phenomenon that the medical and beauty industry "excessively" supports and even encourages young people to treat beauty, the regulatory authorities can start work in the following aspects: intensify efforts to crack down on illegal provision of medical and beauty services, and severely investigate and punish individuals and institutions that provide services without qualification, provide services beyond the scope, and use unapproved drugs or operations without authorization; In view of the proliferation of medical beauty marketing information on the Internet, more detailed regulatory policies should be formulated to provide institutional tools for distinguishing legitimate propaganda from illegal advertising; Strictly control the chaos of Internet V in publishing advertisements of medical beauty in disguise, creating appearance anxiety and providing intermediary services of medical beauty through "personal experience", "female growth" and "health care experience"; Grasp the key areas, strictly control the spread of medical and aesthetic services and publicity to minors and school students in all directions.
(In the text, Lin Ya, Zhao Ting and Zhang Wei are pseudonyms)
□ Our trainee reporter Ding Yi
□ Our reporter Wen Lijuan