East Meets West In Problems Of Youth And Plastic Surgery

We all know the Chinese love plastic and we also know that some Chinese want to look beautiful and lucky, but do you know that plastic surgery is increasing in Chinese middle schoolers?

That’s right, children as young as thirteen – only a small percentage born with congenital deformities – are undergoing cosmetic alterations in China today. According to an interview with Dr. Chen Jianfei in China’s China Daily, the most popular procedures for Chinese teens and tweens are liposuction, double blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) and breast enlargement. Many plastic surgeons report that these children seek plastic surgery in between school years and switching schools in hopes of gaining more confidence.

"We do not recommend cosmetic surgery to people under 16 years old," Dr. Wang Shusheng of Guangzhou Medical College plastic surgery center. Dr. Shusheng advices that the body will continue to change as the child grows older and that surgery can alter the effects of aging in sometimes unpredictable ways.

"Youngsters need to adjust their aesthetic concept," says Tu Minxia, an expert on youth issues.

Minxia believes that these teenagers, like teenagers in the West, are focused too much on physical issues than on inner attractive qualities, such as achievement and confidence in one’s own abilities.

Do You Feel Look Lucky? Well, do ya?

The cosmetic surgery market is booming in pre-consumerist China. But the Chinese may have more than beauty on their minds. Many woman in Asia are opting for surgery to look beautiful and lucky.

A woman in one surgical parlor recently confided in a reporter that she wished to have her cheek bones made less prominent. She expressed that her wish was not because she thought her cheeks were unattractive, but because they are thought in China to bring her husband misfortune.

Another woman wished to have the spots removed from around her eyes and mouth. The spots around her eyes, she stated, were bad luck as a fortuneteller told her they were "tear drops" and that they foretold of great suffering in her future. The spots at her mouth, which were also to be removed, were prophesied by the elders of her village to be the stains of her greed and a warning of her squandering her family's fortune.

Chinese seeking beauty and luck through plastic surgery are a small, but growing minority. Chinese plastic surgeons report that the trend is growing increasingly more popular with businessmen (seeking the boost of a little extra luck), women aged 20 to 35 (looking for husbands) and graduate students (trying to make their mark on the world).

The Chinese Are Falling In Love With Plastic

More and more Chinese are flocking to the decadence of the Western world and opting for cosmetic procedures. Chinese government officials estimate that the Chinese people spent approximately 2.4 billion on cosmetic surgery last year alone. Many of these patients (primarily women) travel to Korea or Japan for their procedures.

Double eyelid surgery is, by far, the most common procedure requested by the Chinese plastic fans. Some opt for this look to emulate Western, or Caucasian features, though the surgery can be beneficial in enhancing vision for those who's eyelids are too narrow, which narrows their field of vision.