Extreme makeovers
China is experiencing a boom in the beauty industry, not the least of which is cosmetic surgery. XIE HONG writes about Chinese women who would endure pain and risk disfigurement and death for the sake of becoming more attractive.
PRETTY is not good enough for 24-year-old Guan Ying. She wants perfection.
She went under the knife last month to make her cheeks fuller, breasts bigger, abdomen flatter, buttocks firmer, waistline smaller, thighs slimmer and legs straighter.
Although she is still recovering, she will have any leftover fat sucked up and subject herself to more massive plastic surgery next month – on her eyelids, nose, ears and calves.
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Guan Ying looking pretty before a head-to-toe plastic surgery. Yet she loathed her long face, small ears, flat chest and crooked legs. |
Guan is one of the growing number of Chinese women willing to go to extremes, not to mention extreme pain, to achieve what they think is perfection.
Although attractive by anyone’s standards before surgery, she loathed her long face, small ears, flat chest and crooked legs.
Over the past two months, 17 women from all over China have had much-publicised head-to-toe surgery.
They hope a pretty face and curvy body will help them achieve their goals, whether it is getting a decent job or making it in show business.
They have been inspired by Beijing fashion writer Hao Lulu. Boldly declaring that she would become China’s No.1 “artificial beauty”, she had extensive plastic surgery over six months last year.
Since then, contests have been held in 13 cities – from northern Shenyang to southern Shenzhen and eastern Shanghai to western Chengdu – to select women for a free total makeover.
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Guan Ying after surgery. Although still recovering, soon she will have any leftover fat sucked up and subject herself to more plastic surgery - onher eyelids, nose, ear and calves. |
Their prizes? As many as 16 operations to give them double eyelids, a sharper nose, an oval face, white teeth, delicate skin, larger breasts and a slim body.
The operations, costing between 100,000 yuan (RM45,000) and 400,000 yuan (RM180,000), are sponsored by cosmetic surgery hospitals. In return, the “artificial beauty” will serve as the “image spokesman” for the hospital.
One of those who have already been transformed, Zhang Jing, said the makeover is already transforming her life.
The 25-year-old Tianjin woman, who claimed she had been unable to land a job because of her looks, said some companies have shown interest in hiring her after three sponsored facelifts in the last four months.
All Peng Xiaoyue, 22, from Sichuan, wants is a slim figure so that she could pursue her childhood dream to be a singer.
The 1.55m-tall woman has weighed 75kg since 2000.
Although tight-lipped about her ideal weight, the bubbly woman, with a chubby face and big eyes like those of actress Vicki Zhao, said she would like a shapely Marilyn Monroe figure.
During her second operation last weekend, 11kg of fat was removed.
Hao’s makeover, meanwhile, has landed her a role in a television drama starring popular Taiwanese boy band F4 in March.
Riding on their apparent success, cosmetic surgery hospitals and clinics have been overwhelmed by patients.
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Beijing fashion writer Hao Lulu, who started the 'trend'. |
One famous address for complete makeovers, the Plastic Surgery Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Beijing, had to set up a 24-hour hotline and it is still jammed with enquiries.
Bao Huai, public relations manager of Evercare, the cosmetic hospital that carried out Hao’s surgery, called it a “win-win situation” for both patients and hospitals.
“While Ms Hao has realised her dream of getting into show business, Evercare is doing a thriving business, seeing a twofold increase in business volume,” he said.
People are willing to fork out 600 yuan to 15,000 yuan (RM270 to RM6,800) for popular operations to get double eyelids, sharper noses, bigger breasts and slimmer bodies.
According to the Beijing Youth Daily, a survey last month showed that 62% of the respondents had been thinking of having plastic surgery, as they believed it could help to boost confidence.
Lily Wei, 35, a marketing executive with a foreign company in Beijing, spent 20,000 yuan (RM9,000) to have her face reshaped last year.
“Everybody enjoys being attractive,” she said. “I’ve gained confidence – when I am out meeting people with my new look.”
Some scholars attribute the trend to the opening up of Chinese society, which encourages people to seek beauty.
A psychology lecturer at People’s University, Wang Wei-dong, said: “Artificial beauty is the trend of the times. There is no need to fuss over it.”
But critics warn it is unhealthy to go to such extremes for the sake of external beauty.
Professor Deng Weizhi of Shanghai University said: “A person should not be judged only by his looks. While pursuing a beautiful image, people should put more effort into developing their character.”
Although happy to see brisk business, some plastic surgeons have urged caution. Dr Zhou Gang of Evercare warned women that even the simplest operation has its risks.
He said: “People should understand that cosmetic surgery cannot fix all problems. While it’s natural that everyone wants to be beautiful, serious consideration and thorough discussion with doctors are needed before going ahead with cosmetic surgery.”
In fact, many operations have gone wrong. About 200,000 people have reportedly been disfigured in cosmetic surgery accidents in the last 10 years.
Earlier this month, a young woman in Zhuhai died while getting her breasts enlarged.
However, neither the potential dangers nor the critics faze Guan or Peng.
Guan said: “With the full support of my parents and friends, there’s nothing to be worried about as I have absolute trust in the doctors.”
Though she had pangs of regret when she was in pain after her operations, Peng is adamant about her choice.
She said: “Vanity is just human nature. For some, it can take the form of money or a career; for me, it means a beautiful look. Although I cannot control what people think, I just wish they would respect my decision.” – Straits Times Singapore / Asia News Network
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