Plastic Surgery in China is a booming industry; Procedures are especially popular among China’s middle class, which now has more disposable income than ever before
The unbelievable speed in which Chinese society has been changing -- from bicycles to cars, villages to cities, housebound holidays to ski vacations -- now reaches the plastic surgery industry in China, which generated an estimated $2.3 billion U.S in revenue in 2010. Ma Xiaowei, China’s vice health minister, said that in just a decade, cosmetic and plastic surgery has become the fourth most popular way to spend discretionary income in China after houses, cars and travel.
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Watch: Growing Demand for Plastic Surgery in China
What might seem weird to the average Westerner is the type of surgeries that appeal to the Chinese masses: The most sought after operation is for the eyes; The procedure is designed to make the eyes appear larger by adding a crease in the eyelid, forming what is called a double eyelid. Many Chinese people feel that having larger and rounder eyes is more beautiful -- and more Western. The second most popular operation raises the bridge of the nose to make it more prominent — the opposite of the typical nose job in the West. The third most popular procedure is the reshaping of the jaw to make it narrower and longer.
Surprisingly enough, many of the patients are very young. at Evercare clinics, a chain of cosmetic-surgery hospitals in China, two-fifths of patients are in their
20s, said Li Bin, the general manager and one of the founders to the New York Times. The youthful patients include job applicants hoping to enhance their prospects in the work force, teenagers who received cosmetic surgery as a high school graduation present and even middle school students, most of whom want eye jobs, surgeons say.
Despite lack of official figures, the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery estimated in 2009 that China ranked third in the number of annual operations, behind the United States and Brazil, with more than two million plastic surgery operations annually. And the number of operations is doubling every year. Mr. Ma, China’s vice health minister, says that China’s regulatory system, by all accounts, has not kept pace with the growing demand for plastic surgery. Out of 11 clinics and hospitals offering cosmetic or plastic surgery that were inspected late last year, he said, fewer than half met national standards. Employees lacked professional credentials; equipment and materials were subpar, and many beauty parlors are flagrant violators, illegally administering Botox injections and performing eyelid surgery.
Mr. Ma defined the situation as a medical “disaster zone,” with many accidents often go unreported or unheard by the public. He mentioned the case of a 24 year old former contestant in the Chinese reality show “Super Girl”, who died after her windpipe filled with blood during an operation to reshape her jaw in Hubei Province.
Despite growing concerns and lack of supervision, the phenomenon of Plastic Surgery in China continues to spread, as many of the middle class in China can now afford to pay the $1500-3000 U.S to change how they look. The only question needed to be asked is: Why would they want to do that?
Your thoughts?
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Lior Paritzky is the Editor in Chief and Manager of Laowaiblog, an internet platform that provides opinion and views about social phenomena in modern China. Look for Lior on Twitter: Liorpari 
This is absolutely crazy. to comfort those who dislike it, plastic surgery is happening all over the world, not just in China
EYE SURGERY? Are you crazy? why would any girl want to do that
Chinese girls: you are beautiful. Don’t do that to yourselves!!!
Chinese girls are just as influenced by the media as Western girls are. Soon they will too have low self esteem and low self confidence. so sad to read
Speaking as a Western girl who has gotten surgery, I can tell you it changed my life. I am getting much more attention now from guys, and people in general are nicer, friendlier. I accomplish more things, I feel happier. Don’t dismiss it, plastic surgery in China is a real breakthrough and I understand the girls who are doing this
Chinese girls want prettier why it is bad
This phenomenon of plastic surgery in china is increasingly worrying many across the country. it is unsupervised and laws are not keeping pace with the huge amounts of people who want to get surgeries. the country must step in and regulate before things go even more wrong
As a man I don’t see any harm by “improving” one’s body. if plastic surgery helps a woman feel better about herself – I say go for it!
I would never get any plastic surgery in China. I would go to a more developed country where rules can protect me if something goes wrong
palstic surgery lack of supervision in China,there are many operation errors and only a few reported.
I’ve done surgery on my breasts and I have no regrets. I am much more confident, happier and getting attention from people. the change is really amazing with the attitude people have towards me after the surgery (especially men but not only). They are nicer and I really get my way more.
I think every woman who wants and chooses to go through a surgery can and should do it, if she is old enough. What worries me about plastic surgery in China is the lack of supervision. this is very scary because women who go in to surgeries must be aware that they are in danger.
If people in China don’t demand better supervision and better protection of their personal rights, change will never come.
It’s important to note that eyes surgery is also the most widespread in the West – but there people fight against the bags under eyes and saggy eyelids.