Middle-aged Chinese men are becoming more conscious of their appearance, leading to an increase in cosmetic procedures done one males in their late 40s and 50s. Men joining women in plastic surgery clinics in China has resulted in a 20 percent annual growth rate for the industry.
Xinhua News Agency reported that the cosmetic industry in China has ballooned to $2.5 billion revenue a year as plastic surgery clinics exceed 10,000. It is estimated that 3 million such procedures are performed annually across the Asian giant, while none was done in the 1980s.
However, the bulk of the clients are still women who go for liposuction, facelifts, breast enhancement and double-slit eye surgery to make chinky eyes that are the feature of Chinese more western in appearance. Among men, it is the injection of purified botulin neurotoxin, more popularly called Botox, which is in high demand as a way of battling aging.
Botox is a muscle relaxant which smoothens facial wrinkles. The procedure is over in about 60 minutes and is not considered painful, according to Chinese men in their 50s who had undergone the injection, reported Global Times. Among the reasons they have Botox is to improve self-image, gain more confidence, boost their career opportunities and even keep up with a younger partner, said Feng Yongqiang, chief physician of Beijing-based Plastic Surgery Hospital.
Zhang, a CEO of a private firm in Beijing, explained why he had Botox. “Every time they find that I am hollow-eyed with a lot of wrinkles, some will think that I am inefficient and have to stay up very late for work, but it is not true,” said Zhang who noticed he started to age faster when he turned 45.
Botox and skin tightening by radio frequency are preferred by middle-aged Chinese men because it requires little time for recovery and leaves no scars or wounds.