Inside China's cosmetic surgery boom | BBC News

Once seen as taboo, plastic surgery has exploded in popularity over the last 20 years in China, fuelled by rising disposable incomes, shifts in social attitudes and in large part driven by social media.

Every year, 20 million Chinese people pay for cosmetic procedures.

Overwhelmingly, it is young women who seek surgery. Eighty per cent of patients are women and the average age of someone receiving surgery is 25.

For years, the most sought-after features were a blend of Western ideals, anime fantasy and K-Pop inspiration: The double eyelid, the sculpted jawline, the prominent nose, and the symmetrical face.

But lately, more disturbing procedures are on the rise - chasing an unrealistic, hyper-feminine, almost infantile ideal.

Details of help and support with body image concerns are available in the UK at BBC Action Line.

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog

For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news

#PlasticSurgery #China #BBCNews

Post from BBC News on April 23, 2025