On March 1, the Shanghai government restricted anyone under the age of 18 from getting cosmetic surgery or tattoos.
The municipal government now states that people under 18 years old require approval from parents or legal guardians before opting for beauty procedures. They also banned tattoo parlors from servings minors, prohibiting them from getting tattoos until they are 18.
In a 2019 report by the Global Times, it was stated that the number of unqualified plastic surgery clinics in China exceeded 60,000, resulting in nearly 40,000 incidents every year – around 110 botched surgeries a day.
China is experiencing a boom in the number of young residents who are opting for beauty procedures, contributing to an estimated market size of over RMB184 billion, according to So-Young.
A surge of young girls have undergone double eyelid surgery, with the procedure becoming the most popular choice amongst Chinese girls last year, according to Legal Daily.
The procedure is permanent and involves cutting of a thin crease on the eyelid in order to make eyes appear larger.
An associate professor at the China University of Political Science and Law, Zhu Wei, has stated that Shanghai’s decision to update the municipal regulation is necessary, with more young Chinese residents lured to alter their appearance by social media and medical institutions, some of which provide their services illegally.
“It not only confuses their values and how they see themselves, but the treatments create a physical and mental health risk, especially because many of the institutions do not abide by the law”, said Zhu.
Although the restrictions are meant to prevent minors from harming themselves physically and mentally, Zhu was clear that authorities need to be aware that the new policy should not be applicable to children who require medical cosmetic surgery for their health.
“Some procedures, such as those for cleft lips, should be performed as early as possible,” Zhu argued. “So there should be different regulations on operations to cure birth defects and those purely for beautification.”
In 2014, the Southern city of Guangzhou implemented a similar ban. It was decided that minors were prohibited from undergoing cosmetic surgery unless parents approved by citing “special reasons.”
Tattoo culture has become a large part of China’s youth over recent years. Younger generations have started to express their individuality through permanent ink, especially in Shanghai.
However, a stigma around tattoos still remains in Chinese culture, with the central government cracking down more on public figures with tattoos, visible or not.
On December 21, 2021, it was stated that China had banned its national soccer players from having tattoos, and that members “are strictly prohibited from having new tattoos and those who have tattoos are advised to have them removed,” according to a release by China’s General Administration of Sport.
The release also mentioned that, under special circumstances, players can have tattoos, but they “must be covered in training and during competitions, with consent from the rest of the team.”
Minors with tattoos will be “prohibited” from being recruited by junior soccer teams.
Currently, Shanghai is the only city in China implementing the age ban on tattoos for minors.
[Cover image via Pixabay]
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