Plastic solution to uni make-up ban

After several colleges in Beijing specializing in performing arts banned applicants for degree courses from wearing make-up at their admission interview, there has been a rise in young people consulting plastic surgeons.　　

Universities such as Beijing Film Academy (BFA) and The Central Academy of Drama (CAD) have explicitly ruled this year that all candidates for performing arts or broadcast majors should not wear any make-up to the interview. The Communication University of China banned make-up for those applying for a broadcast major.

Wang Jingsong, vice president of the performance school of BFA said that the examination should show the candidates' characteristics and specialties. Too much decoration or make-up might distort the examiners' judgment of the candidates, according to China News Service on February 9, 2012.

In an interview with the Beijing Times on February 24, 2012, Hao Rong, professor with CAD, said it has no tolerance for candidates who do plastic surgery and warned that even for students who have Botox injections, the interviewers will be able to tell.

However, the severe warning has not dissuaded potential students from having cosmetic procedures to perfect their image before the interview.　

A plastic surgeon surnamed Wu from Evercare, which has five cosmetic surgery hospitals in Beijing, said that many students who had applied for a performing art major had consulted with her for plastic surgery procedures.

"I've seen up to 30 people at my busiest time in recent days. Most of them were students," said Wu.

"Most of these students came here for facial surgery, such as rhinoplasty or for double-fold eyelids. A few wanted operations such as breast enlargement or liposuction," she said.

Wu said that for students above 16, plastic surgery will not be harmful.

"The cost for the eye is between 4,000 yuan ($641) to 8,000 yuan while for the nose, the price will above 10,000 yuan," she said.

Zhang Xiaoyan, plastic surgeon with Global Care Women and Children's Hospital in Chaoyang district, said that many students had come for Botox or collagen injections to the face, which is a quick procedure and hard to detect.　

"Take a collagen injection to the nose for an example, the bridge of the nose will immediately become higher and it can last for at least six months. Examiners won't find it," she said.

"The lower the client's nose bridge, the more injections she needs. One injection costs more than 7,000 yuan," said Zhang.

According to Zhang, the plastic surgeon will examine a patient's face first and then suggest the treatment.

"After plastic surgery, they look more beautiful, which can make them stand out among other candidates," she said. She then recommended Botox injections costing around 3,800 yuan for the Global Times reporter, aged 22.

Another plastic surgeon surnamed Li with Bosom Friend, a surgical hospital in Beijing, said that both males and females had come to them for procedures recently.

"Most of the students who want to enroll for performing art courses are here to do rhinoplasty and chin injections. In the entertainment circle, almost every actor and actress has plastic surgery procedures," Li said.

Zhao Yi, a 17-year-old Beijing student who applied to both BFA and CAD, said that some of her friends have had plastic surgery to impress the admissions panel.

"But in consideration of our age and student identity, I think most of the candidates don't do plastic surgery," said Zhao.

"I don't wear any make-up usually. But I don't think it's unfair to compete with those who did have plastic surgery. Appearance is only one aspect and your own ability is more important," she said, adding that she thinks the no make-up requirement is good for examiners to see more clearly what candidates look like.

However, Zhao said that in the future, she thinks everyone needs to do some plastic surgery to improve their image because of their job.

"Even though I haven't had any plastic surgery, I am on a diet and I try to keep slim," said Zhao.

In 2013, 4,569 candidates have applied for the 75 freshman places in BFA's performing art department and 9,700 students for the 50 places on CAD's equivalent course.　

Both CAD and BFA refused to comment on their no make-up policy Thursday.