The Chinese plastic surgery market is booming. As the social media wave takes over more and more people are turning to the knife to achieve the perfect look. However, the types of surgeries that Chinese consumers go in for tend to differ from other countries.
In recent years, the ‘double eyelid’ surgery has become more popular, as Chinese consumers want to look more western. Equally, K-POP has had a significant impact on the types of surgeries that people want.
Recent studies by HSBC have predicted that Chinese plastic surgery markets will double in size this year (2019). This would make it the third largest in the world, after the United States and Brazil. By the end of 2019, it is expected to reach the size of 800 million RMB, which is around $122 billion US.
Face slimming and calf slimming surgeries are also very popular. Lack of trust in Chinese hospitals and even private hospitals mean that many Chinese consumers move out of the country to undergo procedures.
It’s hard to pin point the exact reason that Chinese consumers have become so interested in plastic surgery. Many resources site social media as the main reason, but this seems like a watered down version of the market changes.
While shifting beauty standards can be explained by social media, it should also be noted that changes in the perceptions of cosmetic surgery also have an impact on the increase in demand for Chinese plastic surgery.
HSBC analyst Zhijie Zhao has said, “The pursuit of physical beauty had become big business in China”.
In the next few years, the Chinese plastic surgery market is expected to boom even more than it already is. This is going to increase the intense competition between both international and domestic hospitals and surgeries, who are courting the increasing amount of mainlanders who wish to change their looks.
Influences-
South Korea-
A massive reason for the growth in the Chinese plastic surgery market is the increase of the influence of South Korea where plastic surgery is a part of everyday life. Nose jobs and double eyelid surgeries are a very common surgery in South Korea which may be given as high-school graduation presents.
This means that younger Chinese consumers who wish to keep up with their idols tend to want plastic surgery. Many want to change their features in order to look like their idols. Thus, plastic surgery has started to become more popular n order to pursue a more South Korean look.
Recent data shows that per 1,000 people the procedures per capita are at 13.2. South Korea comes in second place. In regards to China, the obsession with k-pop and South Korean culture mean that 60,000 Chinese citizens travel to South Korea every year for different treatments and procedures. Chinese plastic surgery trends are much lower.
Chinese plastic surgery trends are much lower but they are growing. They are only at 0.8% per 1,000 but this is expected to increase as South Korean culture and K-pop continues to sweep across the nation.
This increase has meant that Chinese tourism companies have started to use this a marketing trend, specifically towards the younger generation.
Selfies and Pragmatism-
A second influence in the increase in Chinese plastic surgery is the increasing ‘selfie’ culture as well as pragmatism. Increasingly, jobs include taking photos in the interview process. Many people openly discriminate on job applications based on looks.
Since social media has taken over China, the Chinese selfie culture has become known around the world for most businesses. Live streaming apps mean that people can pass judgement quickly and those who wish to break into the world of internet stardom and become a Chinese opinion leader need to look the part.
Equally, personal vanity is playing a huge role in why Chinese plastic surgery is increasing. Many Chinese consumers
Many people who want to do well turn to cosmetic surgery because they don’t want to be out done by other candidates. Equally, many candidates want to make themselves stand out.
Trends And Types of surgeries-
Social media has increased the presence of different types of beauty to the Chinese consumers. The specific types of surgeries that are becoming popular are suggestive of what Chinese consumers value and what they consider to be beautiful.
The double eyelid surgeries are probably the most popular and the most widely known surgery for China. This procedure involves lifting up the eyelid in order to create the appearance of western eye lids.
Another trend that is popular, especially amongst young men is calf slimming surgeries. In Asia, the long leg look is incredibly popular and this is why it is a popular surgery.
One Chinese plastic surgery trend is ‘lunch-break cosmetics’. These are non-invasive surgeries such as Botox which can be done very quickly and the results are instant. HSBC has done extensive research into this trend.
Aesthetic medicine is increasingly becoming the most popular form of Chinese plastic surgery. Most consumers do not need to undergo these surgeries. Allergan is the only company that has a registered trade mark with this name, so be careful when marketing non-invasive products under botox.
A final type of popular surgery is the face slimming surgery. Many women want to emulate western features by slimming the face.
Age demographics-
Those who undergo Chinese plastic surgery tend to be on the younger side compared to other countries. HSBC has noted that 80% of non-surgical procedures in the United States are done by those over the age of 35, but those younger than 35 make up the biggest portion in China.
The customers share that are aged under 25 and over 35 increased from 31% to 39% of the whole population.
Similar to South Korea, many Chinese consumers who can afford it, give cosmetic surgery to friends and family as presents in their younger years. Even graduation presents can sometimes be cosmetic surgery, although they tend to fall into the non-permanent category.
While this may seem extreme in other countries, this is a common place occurrence in China. Often members of the older generation frown upon plastic surgery, so it makes sense that it is the younger generation is undergoing surgery.
Surgery Apps-
Unlike many other countries, plastic surgery apps are the most common place to find different surgeries for Chinese consumers. The online craze has meant that many companies turn to social media in order to differentiate.
In recent months Tencent invested in Chinese surgery app, costing them around $50 million. The company is valued at $462 million (around 3 billion yuan).
So far, the app has 10 million downloads and they are attempting to enlist 200 different surgeries and thousands of plastic surgeons. It is much easier to connect those who are looking for surgery for cosmetic surgeons, as most customers know the look they want.
Compared to other medical markets plastic surgery is also relatively easy to market online. Visible results, as well as comparable photos, mean that apps for cosmetic do very well in China.
Plastic surgery apps have also become popular because they feed into the social media craze that has taken over China. Most consumers want ease and convenience, and this does not change with plastic surgery.
E-commerce also makes pricing and competition much more transparent. Consumers are able to view and compare different companies and price tags on different procedures.
Conclusions-
The Chinese plastic surgery market is growing rapidly. While cosmetics and plastic surgery may seem like a simple market to enter there can actually be very high barriers to entry. This can be a big issue if you are a smaller company looking to move into China.
Another issue is the thousands of counterfeit and non-approved medicines which can be sold at a lower price compared to approved drugs. This can be risky for clients and it can also be risky for you.
