Hair salon horror: Chinese man spends $ 6,00,000 for ‘detox’, ends up sick and denied refund!
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Hair salon horror: Chinese man spends $ 6,00,000 for ‘detox’, ends up sick and denied refund!")
Chinese man spents over 4.3 million yuan on unlicensed detox and wellness treatments Photograph: (Pexels)
This visit marked the start of a pattern of persistent emotional and sales pressure. Cheng told SCMP that staff repeatedly persuaded him to top up his account, often through emotional manipulation.
A man from Hefei, in China’s Anhui province, has stunned social media after revealing he spent over 4.3 million yuan (around US $6,00,000) at a local hair salon on unlicensed detox and wellness treatments over two years. Reported by the South China Morning Post, the story began in April 2023 when the man, identified by his surname Cheng, was invited by salon manager Chen to the launch of a new branch.
During the visit, another manager, surnamed Zhou, coaxed Cheng upstairs to try what was described as a 'beautician’s massage'. This visit marked the start of a pattern of persistent emotional and sales pressure. Cheng told SCMP that staff repeatedly persuaded him to top up his account, often through emotional manipulation. “They were all young boys and girls, kneeling and saying they were poor and couldn’t even afford rent, relying on customers to help support their parents,” Cheng recalled, wrote SCMP. Older beauticians, he said, would urge him to deposit more funds, arguing that the staff earned commissions based on performance.
Expensive unlicensed treatments and health decline
Over two years, Cheng paid for a series of costly 'wellness' procedures, including 'skin-breaking needle detox' and multiple enema sessions promoted as 'bowel cleansing'. One enema course alone cost around 3,00,000 yuan (US $42,000). Other treatments included massages priced at 500–600 yuan per body part and 'belly dampness removal' sessions that cost up to 2,000 yuan each.
Salon staff assured Cheng that these treatments would help him lose weight and regain a youthful appearance. His account balance kept rising, with a single top-up of 3,88,000 yuan (US $54,000) in January, and by the end of March, records showed the balance had surpassed 1.7 million yuan.
However, instead of the promised rejuvenation, Cheng’s health deteriorated. He developed chronic diarrhoea and unhealed needle marks across his skin. According to Chongqing Daily News Group, after realising the salon lacked the necessary medical qualifications to perform such procedures, Cheng demanded a refund, only to be refused.
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Official investigation launched after viral outrage
Cheng eventually reported the matter to the authorities. On July 9, Hefei police confirmed in an official statement that they had launched a joint investigation with market supervision into allegations of unlicensed medical practices at the salon. The story has since gone viral on Chinese social media, sparking disbelief over how such large sums were spent under high-pressure sales tactics.
