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Taiwanese obstetrics and gynecology specialist Lin Yingmei
“Human stem cells” are attracting attention in Taiwanese beauty industry
Creating beautiful skin starts with daily self-care

Flawless, translucent skin that enhances natural makeup. This phrase perfectly encapsulates the beauty of Taiwanese women, who have been garnering recent attention.
Radiant, well-hydrated skin that boosts confidence even without makeup can improve one's quality of life.
So, what kind of care do Taiwanese women use to achieve and maintain beautiful skin? We spoke with Dr. Ying-Mei Lin, who practices general gynecology and gynecological plastic surgery at Cardinal Tien Catholic Hospital and Smile Muse Clinic in Taiwan.

【Table of Contents】
・Taiwanese people spend a lot on beauty, even if it's expensive
・Facial acupuncture is common; Chinese medicine forms the basis for prevention and beautiful skin
・Human stem cells attracting attention for anti-aging care

Taiwanese people spend a lot on beauty, even if it's expensive

——Please tell us about the major beauty treatments in Taiwan.

Well, as I mentioned in the previous article, it's customary in Taiwan to visit clinics, so it's common to receive care recommended by a doctor at a cosmetic dermatology clinic based on your symptoms and concerns.
Therefore, there isn't much in the way of specific trends, but many people get Botox injections and hyaluronic acid fillers. Botox injections tend to be more popular as they are not a filler and often result in a more natural look.

——In Japan, clinic treatments are often expensive. What about Taiwan?

In Taiwan, a course of treatment can cost around 65,000 to 88,000 NTD (approximately 300,000 to 400,000 JPY). Considering the average salary, this is quite expensive, but people who are highly interested in beauty tend to spend money in pursuit of results.
This might be due to the beauty industry in Taiwan. In Taiwan, there aren't many self-care beauty products available for home use. Although there are some, people feel they aren't very effective. That's why when they travel to Japan, they buy a lot of products at drugstores and bring them back. Japanese drugstores have also started to open branches in Taiwan, so they can buy them there as well.
In Japan, Korean cosmetics are trending recently. Similarly, self-care products popular in Japan are very popular in Taiwan. Not long ago, a facial massager that was a hit in Japan sold explosively in Taiwan. Also, placenta became popular in Taiwan when it was booming in Japan, and it has now become established.

Facial acupuncture is common
Chinese medicine forms the basis for prevention and beautiful skin

——I thought that Taiwan, where Eastern medicine is part of daily life, would be enthusiastic about self-care in terms of beauty.

Self-care using Chinese herbal medicine and other Eastern medicine approaches tends to be more for prevention. For acne prevention and to build a healthy skin foundation to avoid skin problems, people get herbal medicines prescribed and take them at pharmacies.
At clinics that practice Eastern medicine, called "Chung-i clinics," facial acupuncture is popular. More than just popular, it's almost standard. For Taiwanese women, it's such a common treatment that it might not even feel like a "special treatment."
Another popular treatment in Taiwan is "Lati," where an Eastern medicine doctor performs a facelift using threads.

——Are there any hybrid treatments combining Western and Eastern medicine, similar to infertility treatment?

It might be surprising, but in beauty, hybrid treatments are not common. I think Western medicine is more prevalent in this field because it offers faster results.
Also, medical costs in Taiwan are low; a single consultation costs around 200 NTD (about 900 JPY), making clinics very accessible. You don't even need a referral to see a doctor at a large clinic. So, it might be that when it comes to beauty concerns, people tend to think of Western medicine clinics first.

Human stem cells attracting attention for anti-aging care

——So, you differentiate between using Chinese medicine for prevention and Western medical aesthetic clinics for improvement, depending on the purpose.

That's right. For inflammation, spots, or wrinkles that have already formed, a Chinese medicine doctor might even advise that Western medical treatments like lasers or peels, tailored to the specific concern, would be better than trying to cure them with Chinese medicine.
In Taiwan, there's a saying, "Wǎn rú tiān shēng" (宛如天生), which means that beauty like you were born with it is a virtue, and there's a strong awareness of cherishing one's natural beauty. So, people want to maintain healthy skin as much as possible through daily care. That's why the idea of regularly caring for the body with Chinese medicine and then relying on Western medicine when actual symptoms appear has become widespread.

——In Japan, there has been an increase in self-care products focused on stem cells, which were previously only available at beauty clinics.

They're popular among people highly interested in beauty in Taiwan as well. However, as I mentioned earlier, self-care products are not yet abundant, so treatments are generally performed at beauty clinics.
Aging occurs because telomeres, substances involved in cell lifespan, shorten with age, and stem cells are expected to have an effect in preventing this shortening. Therefore, the use of human stem cell culture fluid for anti-aging treatments is increasing.
However, the cost of human stem cell culture fluid treatment is high, so many people opt for exosomes, which are more affordable, for facial anti-aging care.

——Are there any self-care products in Taiwan that contain human stem cell culture fluid, like KNOW YOUR ORIGIN's "Beauty Charge -Femcare-"?

I haven't seen any yet. Even in clinic treatments, estrogen administration to the vagina is common for maintenance against atrophic vaginitis and vaginal dryness. Since it's mostly used locally, the idea of caring for the whole body through the delicate zone using human stem cell culture fluid, like "Beauty Charge -Femcare-," is very novel, I think.

——Dr. Lin, your skin is also beautiful. Do you have any advice for those aiming for beautiful skin?

There's so much information out there now that even enthusiastic people can get confused about what to do. Many such people come to the clinic, and when they do, I tell them about "Wǎn rú tiān shēng" (宛如天生).
If you're overwhelmed and lost from trying too many things, I think going back to what your natural beauty is and taking a moment to think about it will help you see what care you truly need.

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Ying-Mei Lin (Cynthia Lin)

Taiwanese gynecologist. Specializes in general gynecology and gynecological plastic surgery at Cardinal Tien Catholic Hospital and Smile Muse Clinic. Clinical researcher for the International Society of Cosmetogynecology, and well-versed in female genital plastic surgery. As a mother, she uses her experience to empathize with women's concerns.

Official Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cynthialin1008/