Frost & Sullivan China is currently in a critical stage of transitioning from following to competing and leading in the medical device industry. To support the high-quality development of the medical device sector in China and accelerate innovation and resource integration within the industry,5Month8-92023/01/15,2026 MDI-China“Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan China the ‘Medical Device Innovation & Cooperation Conference’ (Third Session)”MDIThe conference was successfully held in Wuxi. Frost & SullivanFrost & Sullivan& Sullivan,Hereinafter referred to as'Frost & Sullivan'）Frost & Sullivan China’s Medical Health Division Consulting Director Wang Peng was invited to attend and delivered a speech.
Frost & Sullivan China’s Health Care Division Consultant Director Wang Peng
Wang Peng pointed out that due to factors such as economic development, improved living standards, accelerated information dissemination, and changes in concepts,The pursuit of appearance has become deeply embedded in the minds of every consumer, leading to the emergence of the 'Appearance Economy'. Medical aesthetics has received widespread attention in recent years. Both surgical medical aesthetic procedures such as plastic surgery and liposuction, as well as non-surgical medical aesthetic treatments involving injections and audio-visual technologies, have seen increasing penetration rates, along with rising acceptance and recognition. The safety and effectiveness of non-surgical medical aesthetic treatments have significantly improved, and they are favored by consumers due to their minimally invasive and quick nature.
In terms of the regulatory environment, Wang Peng emphasized that compliance has become a consensus in the beauty industry, representing both a challenge and an opportunity.Since the Ministry of Health issued the "Management Measures for Medical Aesthetic Services" in 2002, the Chinese medical aesthetics industry has gone through two phases: the establishment of regulatory frameworks and the period of compliance and standardization. In recent years, multiple departments including the National Health Commission have continuously carried out special actions to severely crack down on illegal medical aesthetics activities, standardizing medical aesthetic services and strengthening industry regulation. In 2023, eleven departments including the State Administration for Market Regulation issued the "Guiding Opinions on Further Strengthening Regulatory Work in the Medical Aesthetics Industry,” providing comprehensive regulations regarding access management and comprehensive supervision during and after services. The improvement of regulatory policies has accelerated industry restructuring, reduced unfair competition, enhanced consumer trust, and improved the overall industry environment. However, the upgrading of technical equipment and strict registration standards have increased compliance costs, raised pricing pressures, optimized industry resources, increased market concentration, improved product safety, and boosted consumer recognition.
Wang Peng explained that the global non-surgical beauty market size isThe growth from $21 billion in 2017 to $32.1 billion in 2021 indicates that the figure will reach $72.3 billion by 2025 and exceed $159.4 billion by 2030. The growth rate was as high as 22.5% between 2021 and 2025, and it will continue at an annual compound growth rate of 17.1% thereafter. The non-surgical medical aesthetics market in China also expanded rapidly, rising from 59.5 billion yuan in 2017 to 157.3 billion yuan in 2021, with an estimated value of 401.4 billion yuan by 2030. Among these, injectable treatments are particularly significant, as their market size increased from 19.4 billion yuan in 2017 to 50.5 billion yuan in 2021, and is expected to reach 98 billion yuan by 2025, roughly matching the non-injectable treatments (accounting for 50.1%) for the first time. By 2030, this figure will further rise to 196.8 billion yuan, representing nearly half of the non-surgical medical aesthetics market. Overall, injectable medical aesthetics projects are shifting from a supplementary role to a core growth driver in the Chinese market. Although the growth rate has slowed due to expanding base sizes (CAGR from 2025 to 2030 is 15.5%), the absolute increase remains substantial, driving continued expansion of the non-surgical medical aesthetics market in China and globally.
Wang Peng further analyzed the market landscape of medical beauty injectable products. Currently, medical beauty injectable products mainly include hyaluronic acid, collagen, regenerative materials, and botulinum toxin. Multiple factors drive rapid development in this field. The acceptance of medical beauty consumption increases, and consumer levels improve; improved policies promote healthy industry growth; technological advancements facilitate product upgrades; digital marketing channels support, and consumer education is enhanced. The thriving development of medical beauty injectable products activates continuous improvement across all stages of the supply chain. Many companies expand their operations upstream and downstream to strengthen their positions in the industry. Downstream demand feedback and upstream raw material innovation work together to drive revenue growth for midstream products.
Regarding the dominant category of hyaluronic acid, Wang Peng explained that hyaluronic acid is formed by sugar units linked together and is widely distributed in the human body. Its viscoelasticity and strong water retention properties play an important role in lubricating joints, regulating blood vessel permeability, and promoting wound healing. It is widely used in medical, cosmetic, and functional food industries. Molecular weight is an important parameter of hyaluronic acid, and it can be divided into high molecular weight hyaluronic acid based on molecular weight.≥1×10⁶ Da) and low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid (with a molecular weight of 1×10⁴–1×10⁶ Between Da and oligo hyaluronic acid (molecular weight ≤1×10⁴) The degree of cross-linking also results in different performance characteristics: products with high cross-linking have greater mechanical strength and better shaping ability, making them suitable for shaping hard areas such as the nose and chin; products with medium cross-linking are ideal for filling wrinkles and depressions; products with low cross-linking are softer and better suited for dynamic filling, such as the lips. Low molecular weight, low-cross-linking/non-cross-linking hyaluronic acid is often injected into the dermis as a "hydrating injection" to improve skin condition through its moisturizing and hydration effects.
In the industrial competition landscape, Wang Peng noted that as the manufacturing level continues to improve, local hyaluronic acid production companies are highly competitive globally. The industrial production of hyaluronic acid primarily relies on two methods: animal tissue extraction technology and microbial fermentation technology. Compared to animal tissue extraction, microbial fermentation does not depend on animal resources, allowing free hyaluronic acid to be directly produced during large-scale fermentation processes, thereby simplifying and enhancing purification efficiency, reducing production costs, and better meeting the demands of large-scale industrial production. Additionally, since it avoids animal-derived materials, it eliminates the risk of potential pathogenic virus contamination. Cross-linking technology, as one of the core technologies of hyaluronic acid companies, has led various enterprises to develop their own cross-linking technology patents to achieve more precise control over cross-linking degree, mechanical strength, and viscoelasticity.
Regarding regenerative preparation materials, Wang Peng stated that these materials exert beauty effects by stimulating the regeneration of human collagen, and have gained attention due to their advantages such as long-lasting effect, natural results, and biodegradability. In the field of botulinum toxin, China already has...Seven medical beauty injectable botulinum toxin products have been approved for market release, and several domestic companies are accelerating their development efforts, with many products currently in the application stage for market launch or Phase III clinical trials.
In terms of innovation trends, Wang Peng stated that breakthroughs in advanced materials, developments in new technologies, and the introduction of new concepts are providing the market and consumers with more innovative ways to enhance appearance. Precision medicine enables customized "beauty enhancement" solutions, combining genetic testing and AI analysis to create personalized treatment plans based on individual skin types, genetic predispositions, and allergy history. Through AI algorithms analyzing facial proportions and 3D scanning, along with VR/AR technology,美容 effects can be previewed in advance, enabling doctors and clients to communicate expectations more effectively. The continuous emergence of new materials and products is driving new trends in the medical beauty industry. Innovations such as exosomes and stem cells for anti-aging treatments, as well as the expansion of indications for sound, light, and heat-based treatment devices like Ultherapy, Gold Microneedling, and Thermage, will further stimulate the interest of beauty enthusiasts and set new trends in medical beauty. Additionally, the integration of medical beauty and health management to achieve scientific "beauty enhancement" is leading to the development of one-stop health and beauty centers that include health checks, energy management, physical therapy, and psychological counseling, helping consumers achieve scientific beauty enhancement more effectively.
