How an entire nation is changing its face to get a job (9 photos)

Every year, millions of people in China undergo double eyelid surgery (to create a fold). And not because they consider themselves unattractive, but because they want to get a good job.





With or without eyelids

Can you imagine an entire nation born with irregular eyelids? You're right, it's impossible; their eyelids are regular. But that idea won't allow them to earn $116 billion a year from facial surgeries. "It's as easy as getting a new haircut," say young women, for whom one in three friends has had such surgery. Some Chinese people have this eyelid from birth, jokingly called "free eyelids." Chinese doctors claim that the number of eyelid surgeries has increased dramatically due to rising incomes, the increasing importance of social recognition, and a long-standing beauty standard that emphasizes large eyes.



A series of before-and-after comparisons reveal that the eyes truly do appear BIGGER.

That's why double eyelid surgery is statistically THE most popular procedure in China. Ma Lanhua, a 57-year-old plastic surgeon from Beijing, estimates that since starting her career in 1987, she has performed three eyelid surgeries every month. Since then, that number has grown to 100, meaning she performs surgeries on approximately five people every day. The average age of patients undergoing this procedure is getting lower every year. The market for pediatric plastic surgery is largest in China and South Korea, while in other countries, it's not just prohibited, but rather unpopular among parents. Previously, almost no parents would consent to the surgery, so young people had to have it done secretly. Now, their mothers and fathers bring their girls to the clinics.





Pediatric plastic surgery, and the eye is still growing!

Patient age profile: girl between 17 and 28 years old. Most likely, it's a high school graduate taking a long break before starting university. Just enough time for the scar to heal properly and for you to start working with a new team looking all beautiful. The youngest patients can be as young as 9 or 10 years old. They're brought in by their mothers before moving abroad, because they won't be able to afford it there. And to look more like Europeans there.

How society pressures people to get plastic surgery



Guess who'll find a job faster? My answer: A WEARING MAKEUP girl.

When an Asian has monolids, meaning not double eyelids but without a fold, the eye appears smaller and less bright. "Dull," as they say in Asia. During the surgery, some skin and fat are removed from the upper eyelid to make the eye appear rounder. Doctors say people hope that double eyelids will improve their chances of getting into acting school or finding a job. Women do it to increase their value in the marriage market. After all, the surgery doesn't have to be talked about, as many will assume their children will have the genes for "double eyelids." But not everyone can hide it; their relatives can be unfavorable...



Chinese women also love to make their ears stick out.

The second wave of eyelid surgeries occurs at the end of university, when young people enter the big world and search for jobs through dozens of interviews. Then everything goes into improving your chances. I thought the Chinese and Koreans were the kings of makeup. They always paint a new face very realistically.



A Chinese woman's dream is to apply multiple layers of makeup.

But it turns out that millions of Chinese women have been wanting double eyelids after watching videos from fashion bloggers featuring double eyelids, because they make it easier to apply trendy eye makeup! After all, you can apply one shade to the upper eyelid and another to the lower eyelid. That won't work with single eyelids. The idea of ​​what constitutes the "perfect" double eyelid changes over time. Cosmetic surgeons say the "European" style with a wide fold on the eyelid was popular when the procedure first appeared in China in the 1990s. It was later supplanted by the Korean style—a natural, subtle fold that's less noticeable. Now, people can try out several eyelid incision options on apps and in Photoshop, making it easy to find your own personalized plastic surgery style. And of course, everyone wants to look like the celebrities. Speaking of China, that's Fan Bingbing, of course.



Chinese beauty! She has double eyelids.

How much does double eyelid surgery cost?

Prices in affordable clinics. Incisional surgery, where a thin strip of skin is removed from the upper eyelid, along with some muscle and fat if necessary. Sutures are used to secure the edges of the skin to the underlying muscle to create a fold.



But you can look handsome with a monolid!

It's a very common procedure, although full healing can take up to a year. It costs 8,000 yuan. Suture surgery, where a fine stitch is used to press the eyelid skin to the underlying tissue to form a fold. This is a very simple and less expensive method, and the patient recovers faster. But it's only suitable for those with thin skin, otherwise the crease will look bad. It costs 4,000 yuan. Eyelid tape.



Very cheap, very effective

Simply apply clear tape to your upper eyelid, creating your own crease every day. It's very popular in China. If you see a woman wearing makeup and with double eyelids, she's probably wearing tape.