Official statistics show that China will soon be ranked No. 3 in the world in numbers of plastic surgery procedures, behind only the US and Brazil.
According to the China Association of Plastics and Aesthetics, the industry was valued at 400 billion yuan in 2014 and is expected to double by 2019. But the blossoming market economy is short on regulation, and lax on enforcement.
Rounder eyes, higher nose bridges and slimmer faces have become highly coveted features among many Chinese women. More and more are now going under the knife to modify their appearance.
China’s growing wealth, and its obsession with online celebrity culture, is fueling the increase. But much of the industry is underground and poorly regulated. Experts say some 70 percent of China’s cosmetic procedures take place in unlicensed salons that offer simple and nonstandard procedures, and many have adverse effects.
In an apartment in east China's Jinan city in January, Xiaoya was injected with hyaluronic acid to give her face more pronounced features. But her dream procedure soon turned into a nightmare, as she was left blind in one eye.
She looked to get better treatment in Beijing, but she had no luck. Doctors told her the procedure had been carried out incorrectly and her medication was sub-standard.
Xiaoya said that was her darkest ever moment, but what really angered her is how she was not aware whether the operator was a qualified cosmetic surgeon or not.
Specific regulations to crack down on illegal organizations and practitioners have yet to be adopted.
In the meantime, judicial procedures make medical misadventure cases complicated, and many victims cannot afford the costs involved.
