Xin氧 Unveils Second Edition of Green Gemstone Doctor List, Selecting 100 Top Physicians Based on Technique, Aesthetics, and Service
“Want a nose job but can’t find a good doctor?”
“Marketing advertisements are everywhere; which ones are genuine and which are fake?”
“Where can I go for revision surgery after a failed procedure by an unlicensed aesthetic practitioner?”
……
In an era marked by the explosive growth of the “beauty economy” and widespread irregularities in the medical aesthetics industry, the most challenging decision for individuals seeking aesthetic enhancement is how to find a qualified physician to help achieve their desired appearance.
On October 28, at the appraisal event for the 2020 New Oxygen Emerald Doctor List, Jin Xing, Chairman and CEO of New Oxygen Technology, unveiled the second edition of the Emerald Doctor List. As a non-academic, non-commercial ranking of physicians within China’s medical aesthetics industry, the list has drawn intense attention from the sector since its launch.
VCBeat has learned that the selection of this year’s Emerald Doctor List was conducted by a panel comprising plastic surgery consultants with a decade of clinical experience, industry technical experts with over 20 years of expertise, and aesthetics specialists at the forefront of fashion trends. Candidates underwent rigorous screening based on three core criteria—aesthetics, technical proficiency, and service quality—across 101 evaluation dimensions. Ultimately, 96 senior physicians, each with an average of more than 10 years of professional practice, were selected. The list has also been featured in Robb Report’s “Best of the Best” awards, recognizing excellence in global high-end lifestyles.
Jin Xing stated, “The launch of the NewSo Emerald Doctor List is designed to bring outstanding doctors into the spotlight, enabling consumers to access high-quality medical services.” He emphasized that physicians are undoubtedly the core of the medical aesthetics industry. As a platform provider, NewSo began implementing its “Physician Strategy” as early as 2013, respecting and prioritizing the physician community within the medical aesthetics sector, and seeking to help consumers identify top-tier doctors through a series of initiatives.
(Jin Xing, Chairman and CEO of So-Young International Inc.)
The launch of the Emerald Doctor List not only provides consumers with a reassuring and trustworthy guide for aesthetic treatments, but also stands as a testament to So-Young’s years of deep engagement at the frontline, driving the industry’s positive development.
In recent years, China’s medical aesthetics industry has been developing at an accelerating pace. From 2018 to 2023, the Chinese medical aesthetics market is projected to maintain a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.2%, and it is expected to surpass the United States in 2021 to become the world’s largest medical aesthetics market. However, beneath this rapid market expansion lie underlying concerns that constrain the industry’s development. On one hand, compliant medical aesthetics institutions are scarce, while illegal practices are rampant; on the other hand, there is a significant shortage of qualified physicians, with only slightly more than 10,000 licensed medical aesthetics doctors nationwide.
Guo Shuzhong, former Chairman of the Plastic Surgery Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, stated that the fundamental nature of medical aesthetics is healthcare; therefore, ensuring medical quality and selecting truly competent physicians are particularly critical.
“Amid the industry’s explosive growth, a large number of individuals without medical training are performing surgeries, while some physicians from other specialties have transformed into plastic surgeons after only three or six months of fellowship training. The rapid increase in unqualified practitioners has exacerbated quality concerns within the industry,” pointed out Guo Shuzhong.
As a judge for the New Oxygen Emerald Doctor List, he stated that in addition to its authority, the judging panel introduced several innovations in its evaluation methodology. While past physician assessments primarily relied on metrics such as academic publications, achievements, and professional titles, the core criterion for this year’s Emerald Doctor List is centered on physicians’ “professional expertise.”
The review process adopts a double-blind method, wherein objective and impartial scoring is conducted based on the observation of recorded real surgical videos, without knowledge of the physicians’ identities. Determination of whether a physician is included in the ranking is based on multiple criteria, including service quality, technical proficiency, years of practice, surgical skill, aesthetic outcomes, facility standards, qualifications, harmony, educational background, reasonableness, surgical philosophy, patents, technological innovation, professional title, anesthesia management, reputation, curriculum vitae, aseptic technique, postoperative results, as well as the physician’s professional history and surgical experience.
The categories for selection are also extensive, covering multiple specialized fields such as ocular, nasal, and breast procedures; fat grafting; body contouring and shaping; facial contouring; hyaluronic acid treatments; and aesthetic dermatology.
After rigorous screening, 100 physicians emerged as standouts on the Phase II list, including 70 highly experienced, high-quality medical professionals holding senior titles of Chief Physician or Associate Chief Physician.
Jin Xing pointed out that, compared with the first edition, the second Emerald Doctor List narrowed its selection scope to focus on more challenging reconstructive procedures, such as eye revision, rhinoplasty revision, breast reconstruction, orthognathic surgery (jaw correction), body contouring, thread lift, lower blepharoplasty, intimate area rejuvenation, hair transplantation, and pigmentation removal. Reconstructive surgeries have a low margin for error and place greater demands on surgeons’ technical skills and aesthetic judgment. This high standard aligns precisely with the exceptionally rigorous criteria established by the Emerald Doctor List.
(Certification Ceremony for Doctor Representatives on the Emerald Doctor List)
Jin Xing stated that since the launch of the ranking, listed institutions across China have established 50 “Emerald” live-streaming studios to engage with users nationwide through online interactions and virtual consultations. In a single month, these studios hosted 28 live sessions, attracting over 1.2 million cumulative views, facilitating more than 200 virtual consultations, and receiving over 450,000 likes, thereby providing users with greater access to popular science education and interactive opportunities.
Zhang Yunxiao, Vice President of the Member Service Center and Service Experience Center at So-Young Technology, revealed that monthly page views for doctors listed on the Emerald Doctor Ranking increased by 40%; live streams hosted by these ranked doctors on the So-Young platform accumulated 495,000 views within one month. Dang Ning, a doctor from Chongqing United Liger, achieved a 47% increase in GMV and a 43% rise in transaction volume through the Emerald Doctor Ranking.
(Zhang Yunxiao, Vice President of Member Service Center and Service Experience Center at New Oxygen Technology)
Professor Song Jianxing, Vice President of the Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, stated in an exclusive interview: “Although older-generation plastic surgeons possess excellent technical skills, they rarely appear on social media and do not engage in self-promotion, leaving consumers unaware of their expertise. In contrast, younger doctors demonstrate strong engagement and influence online. How can we effectively highlight truly outstanding physicians? This is a significant challenge for the industry, and it is precisely where the Emerald Doctor List finds its purpose. We identify and select top-tier, emerald-grade physicians, stringing them together like precious gems to help consumers make better-informed choices.”
The launch of the Emerald Doctor Ranking has brought more outstanding physicians into the spotlight, creating greater value for them.
From the perspective of brand value, physicians featured on the list have garnered significant media attention and broader public recognition, which facilitates the development of their personal professional brands. In terms of social value, these listed physicians will leverage So-Young’s public welfare assistance programs to provide professional support to individuals in need of aesthetic medical repair and rehabilitation. Regarding commercial value, the launch of the Emerald Physician List helps, to a certain extent, to address the trust deficit prevalent in the medical aesthetics industry.
Sha Xiaoli, Executive Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Harper’s Bazaar China and a member of the aesthetic expert jury for the Emerald Doctor List, commented, “Only physicians with a refined aesthetic sense can help more people enhance their beauty. The Emerald Doctor List provides consumers with a reassuring and trustworthy ‘guide,’ while also playing a role in encouraging physicians to continuously refine their technical skills and fostering mutual accountability within the industry.”
“The launch of the second Emerald Doctor List is a significant initiative by New Oxygen to consolidate more high-quality medical aesthetic physician resources and support the standardized development of the industry. New Oxygen will continue to expand its categories, such as dentistry within consumer healthcare, aiming to create a multi-category Emerald Doctor List in the future,” said Jin Xing.