2

and the figure is expected to rise 20 percent annually, a China Central Television report concluded.

150 22
20%
The US-based International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery ranks China first in Asia in terms of the number
of procedures performed in 2009. Worldwide, China is third, after Brazil, while the United States is first.
2009
As the wealthy and middle-class segments of the Chinese population expand - and as celebrity culture takes an
even firmer hold - people are becoming more conscious of their looks and are willing to go to great lengths to
enhance them.

Meanwhile, Young people see cosmetic surgery as the key to wealth and love."They want to improve their
appearance to find better opportunities at work and in marriage," says Ding Xiaobang, a plastic surgeon with the
Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

"We`re living in a highly competitive society. People regard appearance as a weapon and a means of
empowerment ... Most of them tell me, `I don`t care how much I spend, just make me look beautiful`."

Meanwhile, experts say, young and beautiful people who still seek plastic surgery need to address their selfawareness issues and be more accepting.