But even some licensed clinics and qualified surgeons aren't following the rules strictly.
In 2020, actress Gao Liu's botched nose operation - in which the tip of her nose turned black and died - went viral.
"My face was disfigured and I was very down. It ruined my acting career."
She had received the nose surgery at a licensed Guangzhou clinic called She's Times from Dr He Ming, who was described as its "chief surgeon" and a nose surgery expert.
But in reality Dr He was not fully qualified to perform the surgery without supervision and had not obtained his licensed plastic surgeon status from the Guangdong Provincial Health Commission.
Authorities fined the clinic, which closed soon after the scandal, and barred Dr He from practising for six months.
However, weeks before She's Times was officially dissolved, a new clinic, Qingya, requested to register at the same address.
Actress Gao Liu's botched operation - in which the tip of her nose turned black and died - went viral in 2020
BBC Eye has found strong links between She's Times and Qingya, such as the same Weibo account and the retention of several staff, including Dr He.
The BBC has also learned that Dr He only obtained the licensed plastic surgeon qualification in April 2024, even though he was technically barred from applying for the status for five years from the date he was sanctioned in 2021.
Qingya now claims to have opened 30 branches.
Dr He, Qingya and Guangdong Provincial Health Commission did not respond to the BBC's requests for comment.
The Chinese Embassy in the UK said: "The Chinese government consistently requires enterprises to operate in strict compliance with national laws, regulations, and relevant policy provisions."
Four years and two repair operations later, Gao Liu's nose remains uneven.
"I really regret it. Why did I do it?"
China's Central Health Commission has been trying to crack down on the issue of under-qualified health practitioners performing tasks beyond their expertise in recent years - including ordering local health bodies to improve regulation and issuing stricter guidelines - but problems persist.