There are a lot of guides collected, and when it comes to making a decision, one can't help but ask: Is this information true and trustworthy? "Choosing institutions, selecting doctors, identifying cases, comparing prices, every step of medical beauty consumption cannot be separated from judgment. The more information one reads, the harder it becomes to make a decision, which is a common situation among many medical beauty consumers.

On October 14th, Meituan released the fourth Arctic Star Medical Beauty List in Hangzhou, with 181 institutions from 42 cities and 269 doctors from 36 cities on the list. Among them, 74 institutions and 156 doctors made the list for the first time. Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu, Shenzhen, and Shenyang are the main cities on the North Star institutional list, and more institutions and doctors who have long invested in medical expertise and service quality have also entered the public eye.

This year, the North Star Medical Beauty List continues the dual track evaluation system based on "medical professionalism" and "user reputation", and further deepens the examination of professional ability and real experience. Two authoritative professors serve as chairpersons, and seven academic leaders lead the formation of nine category standard expert groups to jointly establish evaluation standards; 70 public top tier experts with over 20 years of experience anonymously cross evaluated, reviewing a total of 9922 hours of surgical videos and tracking 8931 participating cases; 38547 real medical beauty consumers participated in the survey, combined with 4.5 million user reviews, to restore the real in store and service experience. The dual verification of professional standards and real experience provides a more specific and verifiable reference for the quality of medical aesthetics.

The demand for medical beauty consumption continues to release, and the requirements for 'professionalism' and 'authenticity' are also increasing. "Wang Dan, the head of the Medical Beauty and Beauty Business Department of Meituan Medical Health Business Unit, said that the North Star Medical Beauty List hopes to help every beauty seeker make their medical beauty choices more convenient and transparent, so that good institutions and doctors can be seen.

Meituan releases the 2026 North Star Medical Beauty List. Photography by Li Qian

70 experts conducted blind evaluations frame by frame and 38547 real consumers followed up, providing a reliable reference for medical beauty decision-making

The focus of medical beauty consumers is shifting from "what projects to do" to "what is more suitable for oneself". Compared to pursuing standardized changes, more and more consumers are concerned about whether doctors can understand their needs, whether the plan matches their personal characteristics, and ultimately whether they can retain their own recognition and become the "irreplaceable self".

I just want to look better, but not like me, "said Ms. Yang, a user from Fujian, while sharing her experience of face-to-face consultations. Her needs are clear, but her choices are not simple: she not only needs to understand the qualifications of the institution, but also needs to judge whether the case has been modified, whether the sharing comes from real experiences, and whether the doctor's aesthetic is in line with her own.

Too much information, difficult to verify. How to find reliable evidence from a large amount of scattered information has become a challenge for more and more medical beauty consumers.

To this end, the 2026 North Star Medical Beauty List will further delve into the specific process of diagnosis, treatment, and service, examining the key links that consumers find difficult to verify on their own but affect the quality and actual experience of diagnosis and treatment. In terms of professional evaluation, 70 public top three experts with over 20 years of experience anonymously reviewed a total of 9922 hours of surgical videos frame by frame, tracked 8931 candidate cases, and comprehensively assessed a doctor's true technical level from scheme design, operational standards to recovery. In terms of real experience, the scope of user reviews has been further expanded. 38547 real medical beauty consumers participated in the survey and provided feedback on the real details of the store and services through follow-up visits and case scoring. The review also referred to the platform's accumulated 4.5 million user reviews. Whether a doctor's skills are good or not, and whether an institution's experience is good, were all answered by real consumers.

Wang Dan, the head of Meituan Medical Aesthetics and Beauty Business Department, shared the new trends in the medical aesthetics industry. Photography by Li Qian

Faced with problems such as scattered information and difficult verification of professional content, Meituan Medical Beauty Link has jointly established a set of evaluation standards for good institutions and doctors, which is of great help in reducing consumer decision-making costs, "said Professor Song Jianxing.

The complex evaluation mechanism ultimately needs to be transformed into information that consumers can refer to. The 71 dimensions and 344 evaluation points of the institutional ranking cover the entire service process from in store to out of store. The ranking presents evaluation dimensions and user feedback to see where an institution's strengths lie; The 34 dimensions and 311 evaluation points of the doctor list balance operational norms, technical abilities, and aesthetic judgments. The technical characteristics and aesthetic directions of doctors are clearly visible in the file. There are clear guidelines for selecting institutions and doctors.

Wang Hongjun, the attending physician of Shenzhen United Lige Medical Aesthetics, has been on the list for two consecutive years. He shared on site that many out of town consumers came to seek medical treatment after learning about him through the list. "At a time when information is becoming increasingly complex and it is increasingly difficult for beauty seekers to verify, the North Star Medical Aesthetics List is becoming the most significant coordinate in their hearts

Trust driven, providing new paths for long-term operation of institutions

The medical beauty industry is entering a new cycle centered around trust. Professional standards are easier to understand, and real experiences are more convenient for reference. The initial trust established by consumers as a result has also raised higher requirements for institutions and doctors.

"Honor is both a spotlight and a magnifying glass. After being seen, you should stand up to it," said Jiang Hua, director of plastic surgery at the Oriental Hospital affiliated to Tongji University in Shanghai.

The North Star Medical Beauty List is a set of visible standards that turn consumers' "goodness" into quantifiable daily routines for institutions. Each selection dimension reminds us to return to our original intention. "Zhang Chong, founder of Zhimei Quality Medical Beauty, introduced that Zhimei has been listed on the North Star Medical Beauty List for four consecutive years, continuously improving doctor training, diagnosis and treatment communication, and user services, effectively enhancing the trust between institutions and consumers. In his opinion, the ranking makes it easier for institutions that have long invested in medical quality and service experience to be understood and chosen by consumers, and also provides a reference for institutions to continuously improve.

It is reported that the Meituan North Star Medical Beauty List also provides free differentiated evaluation files and improvement plans for each participating institution and doctor, covering various dimensions of interpretation and improvement suggestions, better helping institutions discover and improve problems, and promoting the industry towards quality competition. Changzhou Shi Er Mei Plastic Surgery and Beauty Hospital, which has been established for 14 years, made its debut on the North Star Medical Beauty List this year. The head of the institution, Lin Jianqiang, spoke frankly: "It's a pity that we didn't make it last year. Over the past year, we have made targeted adjustments and improvements, and finally made it onto the list. The North Star of Meituan is like a mirror, reminding us to continue improving

The institutions listed on the 2026 North Star Medical Beauty List will receive awards. Photography by Li Qian

Outside of the list, Meituan Medical Beauty is also using AI to provide support for the long-term operation of institutions. In June of this year, Meituan Medical Beauty launched the AI intelligent management platform Meilink, which equipped merchants with AI digital experts "Meiling'er" and 24/7 AI customer service, embedding AI capabilities into consultation and reception, product operation, and online store management, helping merchants improve their business judgment and daily management efficiency. As of now, we have served over 1000 medical beauty merchants and received more than 30000 inquiries, of which over 17000 users have expressed their intention to stay in store.

Medical beauty consumption has entered the stage of quality selection, which has put forward higher requirements for the industry ecology. Li Xiaohui, the head of Meituan Medical Health Business Unit, expressed the hope that through the North Star Medical Beauty List, the industry can move towards a development that values long-term trust more, and pass on professional strength and true reputation to consumers in need, so that medical beauty choices can have less worry and more peace of mind.