Kaohsiung Woman Suffers Facial Swelling After Fruit Acid Peel, Health Bureau Fines Clinic for Expired Cosmetics

A young woman posted on the social media platform Threads that she recently underwent a fruit acid peel at a dermatology clinic, where staff allegedly mistakenly used 70% concentration fruit acid instead of 40%, and left it on for too long, resulting in large areas of redness and peeling on her face, resembling severe abrasions. The Kaohsiung City Health Bureau announced today that it received a report yesterday and inspected the clinic. The on-site inspection revealed that the fruit acid product used by the clinic had exceeded its expiration date (December 2024), violating Article 15 of the "Cosmetic Hygiene and Safety Management Act." The clinic was immediately ordered to remove and seal the product. In addition, the clinic is suspected of violating Articles 16 and 23 of the "Cosmetic Hygiene and Safety Management Act" and will be fined between NT$10,000 and NT$1,000,000 according to law. The Health Bureau stated that investigations showed the fruit acid used by the public on that day was not a medical drug, and the patient's abnormal pain after the fruit acid peel is a consumer dispute. The parties and family members can apply for mediation through the consumer dispute resolution process. The Health Bureau stated that it has asked the clinic to actively and proactively care for the patient, understand her demands, and reach a consensus to protect the patient's rights. Many netizens who saw photos of the woman's injured face said that this act involved medical negligence, and large-area burns on the face might leave scars. The woman, in a media interview, said she had taken several days off work and dared not go out, crying every day when she saw her face, fearing permanent scars. The clinic's doctor stated that the beautician made a mistake with the concentration but has since gone missing and cannot be contacted. The clinic is currently paying for the patient's transportation every day to come to the clinic for wound repair.