With its boom in the country in recent years, plastic surgery has become the fourth most popular option in discretionary spending in China, according to The New York Times. Ranked just above plastic surgery are houses, cars and travel.
The number of operations performed in China doubles every year and in 2009, China was ranked third in the number of procedures performed with more than two million. Ranked numbers one and two were the US and Brazil, respectively.
While plastic surgeries may often be thought of as an age-fighting measure, in China, the most popular procedure is actually eyelid surgery to increase the apparent size of the patient’s eyes. This surgery involves adding a crease in the eyelid to create what is called a double eyelid.
One such patient, 25-year-old Chen Xiaomeng, pictured, underwent the procedure and was pleased with the result and is now considering nose surgery. It may have been easier for her to undergo plastic surgery than it may have been in generations past since, “Cosmetic surgery is now accepted in practically every household,” Xiaomeng said.
Other popular procedures in China include rhinoplasty to build up the bridge of the nose, jaw surgery to lengthen and narrow its appearance, as well as facelifts and non-surgical wrinkle treatments like Botox.
