A Wuhan beauty clinic is being accused of tricking a mentally-challenged 19-year-old man into getting a boob job by claiming that he could then make money through live-streaming.
The 19-year-old young man, whose mother claims he has the mind of a 5-year-old boy, reportedly applied for a job at the unnamed beauty clinic, which provided “full board and a monthly salary of 3,000 yuan ($400)”. However, after asking about potential job opportunities for men, he was told that he should first undergo a breast enlargement surgery and then begin working after he recovered. The man’s mother surnamed Lu, recently unveiled chat archives between her son and beauty clinic staff in which he is assured that boob jobs are ok for men as well and that such procedures were very popular among live-streamers. Despite expressing doubt at first, the impressionable youth agreed to get the surgery and even pay for it.
“You can get the breast surgery done first and start working once you’ve recovered,” clinic staff texted the 19-year-old. “We have many live-streamers who undergo cosmetic surgery here and make a lot of money.”
Unbeknown to his mother, the youth took out a loan of 30,000 yuan ($4,000) and then another one for 7,000 yuan ($980) over two years to pay for a surgery that ended up ruining his life. According to Mrs. Lu, it was the clinic that suggested he finance the surgery, claiming that he could win back his investment through live-streaming.
“The surgery made my son’s chest a B-cup, with two long scars underneath. Seeing those scars breaks my heart,” the 19-year-old’s mother said, adding that, after repeated negotiations, the clinic agreed to remove the implants, which only traumatized the young boy again.
Mrs. Lu turned to Chinese media to attract attention to her son’s tragic story, sharing medical evidence of his mental disability and the depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders he has had to endure after getting tricked into getting breast enlargement surgery. She is determined to seek justice and make the beauty clinic pay.
“If the person has no capacity for civil conduct, a guardian, the parents in this case, must sign for such procedures,” lawyer Hu Junjie told Hubei Media Group. “First, the money must be refunded, and second, if any harm was caused, compensation must be provided.”
The bizarre story sparked outrage on Chinese social media, with many netizens criticizing beauty clinics for resorting to such shady tactics in order to attract clients.
