17.SOCIETY
Risking health for appearance
Zhou Chuna, a 15-year-old online personality known as Xiaona, shared her experience of cosmetic surgery (整形手术) on the internet recently and caused a lot of discussion. According to Workers Daily, Zhou started getting cosmetic surgery at the age of 13 and has since spent about 4 million yuan on more than 100 surgeries.
Although Zhou's case is rare, more younger people in China are undergoing cosmetic surgery, Xinhua reported on Aug 31.
A medical beauty industry white paper released by iResearch Global said that 19 percent of Chinese medical beauty consumers in 2020 were aged 18 or under.
During the summer holidays, double eyelid (双眼皮) surgery is common among students. Other popular cosmetic surgeries among Chinese young people include liposuction (抽脂) and nose jobs, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
While many beauty clinics (诊所) claim that being more physically attractive gives people an advantage in society, failed cases of cosmetic surgery are common to see. According to Xinhua, an underage girl surnamed Zhang had double eyelid surgery, but she couldn't open her eyes after surgery due to errors (失误) made during the operation.
Moreover, Xinhua pointed out that there is furious competition within the medical beauty industry to gain more teenage customers.
Some businesses use slogans like "Only by becoming prettier can you be more loved" to spread"appearance anxiety ( 外貌焦虑)" And many beauty centers advertise directly to teenagers, encouraging them to "make some changes and let your classmates be amazed by your beauty in the new semester", reported Xinhua.
Some clinics mislead their clients by stating low costs. One internet user said she saw an advertisement for a 15 yuan treatment for pimples (青春痘) but the beautician gave her a year's treatment plan which cost 8, 000.
Many experts have said it's improper for teenagers to undergo cosmetic surgery. And many are calling for stricter regulations on the beauty industry when it comes to the treatment of teenagers.
TEENS