Younger people more open to plastic surgery

The younger generation seems to be open-minded about the issue of cosmetic surgery and noninvasive facial treatments.

In October, Soyoung, a platform that has nearly 9 million active monthly users and provides information and booking services for beauty consultation and services, reported that 59 percent of its visitors are age 25 or younger.

People born after 1990 have become the main consumers of anti-aging facial treatments and oral healthcare procedures, it said, adding that 92.6 percent of those using the platform in relation to oral healthcare services are ages 14 to 30.

Yao Yao, a doctor in the plastic surgery department at Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, said the department's peak season usually occurs during summer, generally from June to August. Most of the customers are college students or young people who have just taken the national college entrance exam.

"Those born after 1990 or 2000 are more open-minded about cosmetic surgery, and they enjoy sharing the experience with friends or online, rather than feeling ashamed about it," he said, adding that the department can receive more than 40,000 visitors a year.

"We are a regular hospital without any commercial promotion, but we are still popular. The sector has seen a rather large rise (in customer numbers). We usually receive young people who take the college entrance examination in June, accompanied by their parents. If the kids are underage (younger than 18), we will ask them to think again."

He said it's understandable that people, especially women, are setting higher standards for their appearance because society is prejudiced toward those with beautiful faces.

"But you need to keep several key points in mind before having these surgeries or treatments. They include the institute's qualifications, the standard of the personnel and equipment, and, of course, your own wallet," he said.

"Such surgery is very expensive, so it's essential to take your financial situation into consideration."

However, experts say legal supervision to limit the number of minors having cosmetic surgery remains inadequate.

Last year, a State-level regulation was enacted stipulating that centers should not perform cosmetic surgery on minors without their guardian's consent.

Moreover, in 2014, authorities in Guangzhou issued a local regulation forbidding beauty clinics from providing such surgery or treatments to minors if the procedure is not medically necessary.

However, some private beauty institutes take advantage of policy loopholes to lure minors into having beauty treatments, according to Yao.

In a recent interview with Legal Daily, Liu Xin, director of the medical law and ethics research center at the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing, said vigilance is necessary because some guardians misuse their power by allowing minors to have cosmetic procedures.

He noted that guardians are responsible for protecting the rights of children and also for weighing the pros and cons of any act that may directly affect the child's safety, such as cosmetic surgery, rather than simply signing an agreement form.

Yao said: "All surgical procedures have risks. For some private beauty clinics, performing cosmetic surgery is all part of their business because their primary focus is to make money.

"Therefore, it is necessary (for potential patients) to learn more about them before making any decisions."