Cosmetic surgery attracts investment, but fractured market limits growth

The scale of the cosmetic surgery sector is surging in China, with more and more movie stars and young consumers having the procedures. More internet startups and O2O platforms have started to join the sector.

The output value of the sector reached 535 billion yuan ($81 billion) in 2014 and is expected to top 1 trillion yuan in 2019, with an annual growth rate of 15 percent, according to a report by Industrial Securities this year.

Still, privately-owned agencies dominate the market, and it has been difficult for them to become strong household names or brands. Unknown institutes have to compete for customers by spending big money, usually 60 to 70 percent of their profits, on advertising.