For years, ID photos have been a lucrative business in China. Many young Chinese are willing to splash large sums to get the perfect headshot, booking sessions at high-end studios that provide professional stylists, photographers, and editors to ensure clients look their absolute best.

But those days could soon be coming to an end, as official organizations begin to clamp down on heavily Photoshopped images.

Earlier this month, domestic media reported that authorities in the northeastern city of Fushun had begun rejecting applications for the national postgraduate entrance examination that featured heavily edited photos taken at high-end studios like Himo, a major chain in China.

According to the report, students at universities in Beijing and the eastern city of Taizhou had reported similar issues, with local authorities tightening restrictions on photos for the postgraduate entrance exam.

Local police in the eastern city of Hangzhou also warned residents in May that they would reject any applications for official documents that featured photoshopped ID photos.

The moves have attracted massive attention in China, with a related hashtag garnering over 190 million views on the microblogging platform Weibo, sparking a flurry of speculation that the days of “ugly” ID photos could be returning.

More than a decade ago, Chinese consumers typically got headshots done at small local print shops, which usually provided simple portraits against a plain background. But younger, image-conscious people often used to grumble about how terrible these photos tended to look.

That opened the door to the rise of photo studio chains like Himo, Naive Blue, and Elefoto, which grew rapidly from the early 2010s. These companies thrived by offering customers premium portrait services, including professional lighting, makeup, and Photoshop editing.

Younger millennials and Gen Z have been the key drivers of this business, with Chinese analysts hailing the rise of the “appearance economy.”

Though young people often want to look great even in applications for exams and new ID cards, another important factor behind the popularity of companies like Himo has been the fact that Chinese employers typically require candidates to submit a headshot with their job applications.

With competition for jobs soaring in recent years, especially for graduate roles, young Chinese have often felt it’s worthwhile investing in a professional headshot, as it could help them stand out among a towering pile of resumes.

Himo now operates nearly 670 outlets in 87 Chinese cities, according to the company’s website. The company charges as much as 169 yuan ($23.50) for one edited ID photo and 459 yuan for a couple’s portrait.

As news of the new official restrictions began to spread, Himo announced last week that it would offer free photoshoots to customers who had used their ID photo services this year. Any customer who had had an application rejected due to issues with their photo would receive a refund, the company added.

On Chinese social media, users have mostly been supportive of the restrictions, with many commenters mentioning that it makes sense to insist on non-edited ID photos to avoid potential verification issues.

Lin Dongning, 22, has firsthand experience of those problems. When applying for the postgraduate entrance exams in 2023, she decided to book a session at Himo, believing that she could use the photos for her application and several other important documents.

“I wanted a formal, beautiful photo of me while I was still young and free,” said Lin, adding that she was looking for a “refined but realistic photo.”

But that isn’t what she got. “They over-edited the photo, which distorted my facial features to the point that the proportions were noticeably different from my actual face,” Lin said.

This discrepancy led to multiple issues further down the line. The authorities initially accepted Lin’s photo during her application for the exam. But when she enrolled in her postgraduate program, it was flagged during the verification process.

“I had to spend a week traveling back and forth between my home and school preparing materials to prove my identity,” Lin said. “If I’d failed the verification again, I could have lost my place in the program.”

(Header image: Visuals from @海马体照相馆 on Weibo, reedited by Sixth Tone)