Guangzhou to ban plastic surgery for minors

Guangzhou is set to ban minors from having cosmetic surgery under draft rules aimed at tackling the country’s growing obsession with going under the knife, an official statement said.

The rules for Guangzhou have been drawn up as concerns grow about the dangers of plastic surgery in a country where three million people have operations each year to change their appearances, according to state media.

If passed by local lawmakers later this year, the law will also require parents of minors to consent to any cosmetic surgery for medical reasons performed on their children, according to a statement on the city’s official website.

“If approved, the regulation will be the first rule that has addressed the issue of plastic surgery for under-18s in China,” medical lawyer Zhao Yin told the state-run China Daily newspaper on Wednesday, adding that she hoped the laws would be rolled out across the country.

The regulations for Guangzhou will come into force early next year.

Mainland youths are turning to plastic surgery as they become increasingly obsessed with beauty, experts claim.