Chinese Women Turn to Cosmetic Surgery to Compete in the Job Industry

by Alexandra Kilpatrick

At an ever increasing rate, working Chinese women are turning to cosmetic surgery to keep their employers from hiring a younger replacement.

According to a report from Joanna Chiu of the Daily Beast, Chinese employers are placing more emphasis on youth, leading to a rise in cosmetic surgery among working women in their late '20s and early '30s trying to compete with women in their early '20s.

Anthropologist Wen Hua claims that cultural and economic transformations in China over the past few decades have caused Chinese women to experience more job insecurity and anxiety than men.

The author of Buyings Beauty: Cosmetic Surgery in China, Hua further explains that beauty opens doors in China's workforce.

"The dramatic economic, cultural and political changes in China have produced immense anxiety experienced by women, which stimulates the belief that beauty is capital," Hua told the Daily Beast's Chiu. "Cosmetic surgery has become a form of consumer choice; it reflects in microcosm the transition of China from communism to consumerism with its own Chinese characteristics."

Hua researched the layoffs of urban workers in China from 1993 to 2001 and found an abundance of employment insecurity among working women. While nearly a quarter (43 million) of China's workforce were let go in the '90s, more women were laid off than men. Women also experienced much more discrimination when re-applying for jobs than men.

Hua's research also revealed that age and height requirements were prevalent in China's job advertisements. A 2003 review of these ads found that more than 90 percent of the postings were only available to applicants under the age of 30, making it particularly difficult for over-30 women to find work.

Surging Cosmetic Numbers

Chinese women's desire to gain an edge in the job market has fueled a 2.5 billion dollar per year cosmetic surgery industry in China that has drastically increased by 20 percent per year in the past few years, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Behind the United States and Brazil, China is now the third largest market for cosmetic surgery in the world. However, China is unique in that these cosmetic surgeries are considered more comparable to business expenses than personal wish fulfillments.

To meet height requirements on job ads, leg-stretching procedures have become fairly common in China. This procedure is simply one of many in China's job industry-driven cosmetic surgery trend.

Perceptions of youth and beauty across the globe are fueling cosmetic surgeries like never before. If you or someone you know would like to learn more about potential options for plastic surgery, please feel free to contact one of our representatives to schedule a consultation with a doctor or clinic today!

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Chinese Women Turn to Cosmetic Surgery to Compete in the Job Industry

by Alexandra Kilpatrick

Surging Cosmetic Numbers

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