Why did a Chinese TV Show get People Talking about Plastic Surgery?

A recent discussion about plastic surgery on a popular Chinese variety show has started a debate on social media in China. The debate centers on the growing demand for plastic surgery procedures in the country.

The name of the show is “Can’t Say” and it has a theme of “complete beauty vs. natural beauty”. The show recently invited a woman who has undergone cosmetic surgery for over 15 years, Wu Xiaochen, to discuss the topic of plastic surgery with a woman who has not undergone any type of plastic surgery named Wang Nuonu.

Rising Number of Patients

According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the number of people having plastic surgery procedures in China has been increasing as both Western influences and incomes grow. Overall, China was responsible for 13\\% of cosmetic surgeries worldwide in the year 2016. This number makes it the third largest country when it comes to the number of procedures performed. In addition, the number of cosmetic surgery procedures there rose from 2.7-million in 2009 to 4.8-million in 2013. This year alone, the number is expected to reach around 10.2-million.

The Debate on Social Media

The debate about plastic surgery in China has spilled onto social media since the variety showed aired a few weeks ago. The debate includes some people who are accusing the people on the show of being superficial when it comes to their appearance. Many social media users have gone so far as to accuse the patients who had a procedure of having a face that is “plastic”.

Comments in the News

On the other hand, there are others who think plastic surgery is wrong but they are more measured in their outrage. They say that the trend of having plastic surgery is a reflection of general problems in society. On Sina News, some of the comments included:

• “We can only say that the world has a lot of hostility towards ugliness that it puts a girl through all of this.”
• “Impressing others with your beauty will not work for long”
• “Natural beauty is the real beauty”

Wang, who has a master’s degree from Cambridge University, appeared on the show to argue against facial surgery and the overall emphasis on appearance that seems to be so important these days.

The Argument for Wu

However, there were some viewers of the program that showed their support for Wu. They praised her for being so outspoken about the concept of modern beauty.

One online commentator said “The ‘complete beauty’ has the courage to speak the truth and does so in a completely straightforward way.

The flood of positive comments took Wu by surprise according to a recent report. She was quoted as saying “I’ve never heard people putting my appearance aside and discussing my character before. I told my story on the show because I don’t want people to get cosmetic surgery done in their teens like I did.”

She went on to add, “They must think rationally about changing their beauty. Plastic surgery may give extra points to my outer appearance but it does not make my life more beautiful.”

Started when she was 14 years old

According to Wu, the first time she had cosmetic surgery was at the tender age of 14 years old. She had a facelift at that young age. Since then, she has undergone almost 100 procedures.

In total, the cosmetic surgery procedures have cost her around 4-million yuan, which is close to $623,000 in American money, and have mainly been paid for by her parents. While some of the surgeries have gone smoothly, she has experienced many complications and infections over the years as a result of the multiple surgeries.

When asked whether or not she plans on having more plastic surgery, Wu said “With the increasing popularity of plastic surgery, people can enjoy being beautiful. But the risks are rarely mentioned.

Despite the number of risks involved in having multiple surgeries, and even taking into account the numerous complications she has suffered over the years, Wu did say that she would continue to have surgery in order to continue her “pursuit of perfection.”

MA