Skin deep: China's risky plastic surgery industry

(Ecns.cn) – As exotic cosmetic trends become increasingly popular in China, the number of clinics here providing plastic surgery is increasing at a stellar rate. The results can be devastating, however, especially when beauty seekers make hasty decisions or choose risky options in an under-regulated market.

In the last decade, the booming plastic surgery industry received an average of nearly 20,000 complaints every year, according to the China Consumers' Association.

But even as the quality fails to improve, the cost of surgeries continues to soar, and slack market supervision and malicious competition are believed to be the culprits. To stem the tide, the government must step up and pass comprehensive laws and regulations to bring the industry under control, noted China Newsweek.

Surging market

From 2009 to 2010, more than 3.4 million plastic surgeries were carried out in China, according to a survey by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS).

The New York Times said China now ranks third in the world in terms of the number of plastic surgery cases, following the United States and Brazil.

Moreover, South Korea last year issued 1,073 visas for Chinese tourists who visited the country for cosmetic procedures, a 386 percent jump from 2010, according to data from the South Korean embassy.

Without a doubt, Chinese people are spending more money than ever to fulfill their dreams of becoming beautiful, creating a huge market potential for plastic surgery businesses both at home and abroad.

Of the potential consumers, 30 to 40 percent are university students, either teenagers or those in their twenties, revealed Huang Jinlong, director of the Department of Plastic Surgery at the Jiangsu Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Huang added that the peak season is around graduation time, and that the hospital receives over 400 young patients every year.

Many who are pursuing studies in foreign countries also choose to come back for plastic surgery, especially during the Christmas season, because the cost is still lower than it would be abroad, a doctor told Xinhua Daily, a Nanjing-based newspaper.

Apart from students, white-collar workers, both male and female, are also an important target group for plastic surgery clinics, since more white-collars are getting medical cosmetic treatments as a shortcut to career promotion.

Surprisingly, recent numbers also suggest that the senior population in China is becoming a rapidly-growing market for the plastic surgery industry, as many are opting for eyelifts and wrinkle treatments. The conclusion was based on the total number of patients who had plastic surgery during the last May Day holiday.

Under such circumstances, the value of China's plastic surgery market reached 300 billion yuan (US$47.4 billion) in 2010, employing over 20 million people. The industry has grown at an annual rate of 40 percent, and sales are increasing at 60 percent every year, according to China Newsweek.

Ignoring the risks

Last Thursday, a woman in her 20s who had spent over 4 million yuan (US$632,400) on more than 200 plastic surgery procedures went to see doctors for a check-up in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, reported the Yangtze Evening Post.

Nicknamed "pink baby," the woman reportedly started getting work done on her body when she was only 16. Unsatisfied with the results, however, she chose to have more and more reconstructive procedures, which eventually resulted in disfigurement and constant pain.

This may sound like an extreme case, but when tens of thousands of teenagers and young adults are forking out big sums for plastic surgery, many have eyes only for the benefits but choose to ignore the risks.

To them, nips and tucks for noses, lips, eyes and jaw lines are hardly worth mentioning, and treatments such as breast augmentation, liposuction, chemical peeling and Botox injections are also easy work.

However, many of these cosmetic procedures are invasive and even dangerous, especially when carried out by unqualified practitioners.

Over the past decade, a total of 200,000 Chinese people have been disfigured by botched operations, mostly because of incompetence by surgeons, according to the China Consumers' Association.

Government control?

In wartime, China's cosmetic surgery industry made many achievements and greatly helped injured soldiers by providing treatments for burns and other wounds.

In peacetime, especially before the 1980s, cosmetic surgery almost disappeared in China, as it was considered an unnecessary technique. But after the reform and opening up, plastic surgery was gradually enlivened, and the industry has since experienced a period of rapid development.

In recent years, the drive for profit has resulted in an alarming increase in the number of plastic surgery hospitals; by the end of 2011, there were more than 34,000 institutions providing plastic surgery services.

Unfortunately, some of them are of sub-standard quality and have even botched surgeries, noted China Newsweek.

To better protect the rights of patients, the government must take immediate legal measures to control the market and regulate the plastic surgery industry. Efforts should also be strengthened to raise the standards for beauty salons and plastic surgeons.

Meanwhile, some patients may actually develop mental problems, such as addiction to cosmetic surgery. Plastic surgeons must be sensitive to this issue, and communicate with patients thoroughly before agreeing to carry out any cosmetic procedures.