While the increasing desire to enhance physical appearance and the changing attitudes towards self-image are the main market drivers of China’s aesthetic devices market, technological advances through social media and smartphone-based applications are increasingly playing a predominant role, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s research reveals that the China’s aesthetic devices market accounted for around 57% of the Asia-Pacific (APAC) market in 2019 and the number of cosmetic procedures in China are set to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 2% between 2019 and 2030.

Pratibha Thammanabhatla, Medical Devices Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “China’s aesthetic devices market is growing as people are increasingly opting for aesthetic procedures to get a perfect look, influenced by growing passion for selfies, k-pop and South Korean culture where aesthetic procedures are commonly performed. 

“Social media and smartphone-based applications are sensitising people for aesthetic procedures by facilitating open communications, introducing different types of procedures available, and by influencing patients’ choice of plastic surgeons, procedures, products and clinics.”

Applications such as MeituPic, Camera360, FaceU, Pitu, So-Young and GengMei are also fuelling the number of cosmetic procedures being performed in China. These applications allow users to post comments and live-streaming content, edit photos, view before and after photos, book surgeries and provide financing support to users interested in getting aesthetic procedures done.

Ms. Thammanabhatla concludes: “With social media and the evolving digital ecosystem greatly influencing the aesthetic trends and treatments in China, it is crucial to improve the quality and integrity of the information available online. This helps to provide informative, appropriate, and unbiased content to users and avoid any negative effects on the lives of people.”