Major Male Investor in Plastic Surgery

*All conversations published have gained the consent of speakers.

        Chris, the well-groomed man in a full suit standing in front of me, is Cindy’s husband. In addition to being responsible for reserving the company’s talented beauticians and bodybuilders, enhancing their skills, and providing quality training, he is also in charge of the company’s cooperation with third-party companies. As an investor in a plastic surgery hospital, Chris is very familiar with the development of China’s medical aesthetics industry.

        “Chris, what is your experience as a man in the beauty industry? Do you see it as an advantage or a disadvantage?”

        “First of all, this question makes me feel that society’s perception of the beauty industry is still that it’s dominated by women. In fact, this concept should have changed long ago. Men will have a special perspective when participating in the beauty industry. Top hair stylists, the best doctors in plastic surgery hospitals... The proportion of men is actually a lot higher than most believe. There are increasingly more people in our society who value beauty, and I also have more and more male friends who have this demand. I hope to use my perspective and professional knowledge to help these people effectively. It can be said that from my point of view, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.”

        I nodded and said, “I heard that you participated in the investment of the plastic surgery hospital as a shareholder sponsor. Why did you make such a decision?”

        “Plastic surgery has been a significant trend in the cosmetic industry in recent years. Countries such as Japan and Korea have been developing these skills and personnel for many years. The earliest plastic surgery was done to repair facial damage caused by accidents and to help patients regain confidence and return to society with a healthy mentality. Today’s plastic surgery has undergone tremendous changes, and people who haven’t been in accidents are trying to make themselves more confident to participate in social interactions and activities.

        As an early leader in the beauty industry, our company was willing to participate in such a meaningful investment with huge market potential. At present, many people make appointments with countries in Japan and Korea and fly there for various surgical treatments. After investigation and comparison, we have jointly invested in this plastic surgery hospital with top Korean plastic surgeons and several other parties. Localized services can allow customers to understand the content and methods of services more effectively, reducing costs and allowing them to rest near the comforts of their loved ones. Therefore, we think it’s a very meaningful investment.”

        “A major topic I found myself coming back to is the development of adolescents’ mental health since 2000, and various new phenomena have emerged. What kind of teenagers, do you think, come to do plastic surgery?”

        Chris took a sip of his coffee. “Adolescents today are gradually wanting individuality, and the ways of social interaction are becoming more diverse. They hope to be recognized for their appearance, knowledge, and personality. Of course, there will be a strong demand for plastic surgery if they want to change their appearance. The population asking for surgery at our hospital has been getting younger yearly: the number of high school students starting to work is increasing, and college students are beginning to live independently and have greater autonomy. People want to become influencers, celebrities, and fashion industry practitioners, combined with the fact that many families have good economic conditions now, result in more of such needs.”

        “From a professional point of view, most of the cosmetic surgery should be micro-surgeries. I believe you have also encountered some people who insisted on almost completely changing themselves, such as bringing pictures of celebrities they like and insisting on having the superstars’ looks. As someone from the hospital practitioners’ side, what do you think?”

        “Many young people nowadays have their own ideas, but the celebrity-chasing effect is also obvious. Many people’s perception of beauty comes from the entertainment industry as the standard. When everyone wants to get similar features like high noses or pouty lips, they come out of surgery looking like they were carved out of the same mold. This is where the derogatory term “plastic surgery face,” which is used to mock all these people who are willing to give up their identity to become beautiful, comes from.

        From a professional point of view, we really hope to make appropriate micro-adjustments according to the patient’s own conditions, so that the best results will be achieved in the long run and reflect their own personality. We work hard to communicate that with every customer. Sure, it is unavoidable when someone isn’t willing to listen and gives insisting requests for the standard “plastic surgery face” look. In such cases, we will evaluate from the perspective of medical professionals. We will try our best to meet customer needs if it is within the allowable range. We keep reminding them of the effects of our plan and confirming that this is what they truly want, but with self-responsible adults, there is very little we can do to stop them.”

        I thought of Chris and Cindy’s five-year-old little girl. She was adorable and giggled like a bell. “Would you allow your own daughter to have plastic surgery?”

        “I should say that I won’t agree to it before my daughter turns eighteen. I still believe that the natural look is the best for adolescents. When she grows up and matures and can be responsible for the consequences of her actions, appropriate fine-tuning can be done if necessary,” Chris laughed.

        The development of plastic surgery, as one of the most significant rising industries, has been advancing in a demanded yet controversial way over the years. I have seen many children in and outside of China develop mental health problems because of appearance anxiety and social difficulties. With our harsh, looks-centered modern society, I fully respect their decisions to receive surgery. Though it is crucial to raise mental health awareness simultaneously so plastic surgery does not become an unhealthy obsession, I sincerely hope that the existence of this industry helps more people integrate into society with a normal and positive attitude.