Despite being suspended, many cosmetic and dental clinics are still operating illegally.

Although suspended from operation and violations have not been corrected, many beauty salons and dental clinics in Buon Ma Thuot City ( Dak Lak ) still openly welcome customers.

Staff at JK Medical cosmetic facility (89C Ly Thai To street, Tan Loi ward, Buon Ma Thuot city, Dak Lak) consult and schedule scar removal services for customers. Photo taken on February 6 - Photo: THE THE

In Buon Ma Thuot City (Dak Lak), due to the need for skin care and a beautiful smile, cosmetic and dental facilities have sprung up like mushrooms after the rain. Notably, some facilities that were suspended immediately reopened or "changed their names" on the billboards and openly welcomed customers.

Penetrating reality, Tuoi Tre Online recorded a series of beauty salons and dental facilities that had been suspended still openly operating.

Dental clinics and beauty salons that were suspended still welcome customers

At noon on February 6, at JK Medical beauty salon (89C Ly Thai To street, Tan Loi ward, Buon Ma Thuot city, Dak Lak), there were many customers coming to listen to beauty care consultation.

We asked about scar removal service, the staff said they were ready to do it and had their own operating room, the first time would be discounted from 4.5 million VND to 1.5 million VND (if done immediately).

"You can divide it into many treatments, inject it or use a machine to intervene deep under the skin to remove scars," this staff advised.

Previously, JK Medical cosmetic facility, whose legal representative is Ms. Nguyen Thi Xuyen, was administratively fined 25 million VND by the Dak Lak Department of Health for "using drugs, substances, and equipment to intervene in the human body" without a license.

Specifically, this facility is not licensed to perform interventions involving injection, injection, pumping, irradiation, waves, burning or changing the skin color, shape, weight, etc. on the human body. Along with the fine, Ms. Xuyen's facility was suspended for 4.5 months (from January 20, 2025) to correct the violation.

However, since the 6th day of the first lunar month of the year of At Ty (February 3), this facility has opened its doors to welcome customers. Although not licensed for invasive procedures, this unit still provides consultation and performs services to remove scars, intervene to change the color of lips, cheeks, etc.

JK Medical Aesthetics (89C Ly Thai To Street, Tan Loi Ward, Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak) is still advertising its opening in early spring even though it is suspended - Photo: THE THE screenshot

Similarly, despite being fined VND45 million and forced to suspend operations for 18 months (from December 31, 2024), Chi Lang Dental Clinic (No. 14 Tran Nhan Tong, Khanh Xuan Ward, Buon Ma Thuot City) is still open to welcome customers. This facility was temporarily closed for "providing medical examination and treatment services without a license to operate medical examination and treatment".

Posing as a customer in need of dental care, the reporter was taken to the service desk by these employees. When asked to have braces done, the facility scheduled another day because there was currently… no doctor available.

At the same time, in the examination chair, a customer was being re-examined by the staff after having braces done. When asked about other dental services, the staff here said they could perform them all, accepting more customers...

Above are 2 of many establishments that have been temporarily closed for 4.5 months to 18 months in Buon Ma Thuot City but are still blatantly operating with the violations that have been punished.

Despite being suspended for 18 months from December 31, 2024, on February 3, Chi Lang Dental Clinic (No. 14 Tran Nhan Tong, Khanh Xuan Ward, Buon Ma Thuot City) still opened to welcome guests - Photo: MINH PHUONG

Insufficient sanctions are a loophole

Ms. Ho Thi Tuoi - Head of the Buon Ma Thuot City Health Department - said that there are currently many beauty salons and spas operating illegally or having been suspended but still secretly operating again. In 2024, the staff office of the Buon Ma Thuot City People's Committee conducted many inspections and handled many violations.

However, the business of beauty, tattooing and spa is growing rapidly, becoming more complicated, and posing many potential risks to human health and life. These establishments are mostly non-invasive beauty establishments, tattooing without anesthesia and spas, so they are rarely inspected, but inside they secretly inject fillers, botox, perform eyelid surgery and chin augmentation.

On February 11, Huyen Smile Beauty & Academy (No. 21 Giap Hai, Buon Ma Thuot City) was still open despite being fined 25 million VND and suspended for 4.5 months from January 14 for using drugs, substances, and equipment to intervene in the human body without a license - Photo: THE THE

"Many normal spa establishments operate downstairs, and perform filler injections, botox, and various surgeries upstairs, in the family's living space, to cope with inspections.

There were cases where when the inspection team raided the beauty salon, it closed, did not comply with the inspection, and then destroyed the evidence. Later, when the door was opened for inspection, it was discovered that there was illegal equipment, but the staff said they were there to visit, not knowing who the owner was to deal with the authorities. Currently, we have to transfer the case file of this facility to the police," Ms. Tuoi said.

Ms. Tuoi added that the current sanctions are not strong enough, which is also a loophole for unlicensed cosmetic and dental clinics to freely re-offend. In total, the violations of the cosmetic and dental clinics resulted in each facility being fined a total of 105 million VND and having its operations suspended for a period of time.

Despite being fined 25 million VND and suspended for 4.5 months from January 3 for "using drugs, substances, and equipment to intervene in the human body" without a license, Kang Hea Facility still opened to welcome guests on February 10 - Photo: MINH PHUONG

"There needs to be regulations for invasive cosmetic services (injections, surgery on the human body - PV) but the facility does not have a license, the person performing the service does not have a degree as a criminal act to prevent it. The administrative penalty is too low, while the profit from underground activities is too high, so beauty salons and dental clinics are immune to the drug," said Ms. Tuoi.

Meanwhile, Ms. Le Thi Chau - Chief Inspector of the Dak Lak Provincial Department of Health - said that dental and cosmetic facilities in Dak Lak province are still operating "underground" but are difficult to handle.

"In the future, the department will conduct inspections and strictly handle violations and repeat violations. At the same time, the department will continue to coordinate with relevant agencies to rectify the situation and not issue meaningless penalties," Ms. Chau affirmed.

Fined billions of dong, suspended but still blatantly reoffending

In 2024 and more than the first month of 2025, Dak Lak Department of Health conducted surprise inspections and decided to fine 18 dental and cosmetic facilities more than 924 million VND.

The Department also imposed additional penalties of suspending 17/18 establishments for 3 to 22.5 months and temporarily revoking the practice licenses of some people. In January 2025 alone, the Dak Lak Department of Health fined 9 establishments VND329 million and suspended 8/9 establishments for 4.5 to 18 months.

According to the report of Buon Ma Thuot City Health Department, in 2024, this unit inspected and decided to administratively fine 32 more establishments with a total amount of more than 1 billion VND.

Buon Ma Thuot City People's Committee also decided to suspend 5 beauty salons and spas that did not have operating licenses but performed cosmetic surgery, filler injections, and botox without licenses.

12 establishments were additionally fined and forced to remove false advertising images on websites...

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bi-dinh-chi-nhieu-tham-my-vien-nha-khoa-van-hoat-dong-chui-20250212103630849.htm