In competitive China, more men go under the knife to boost their chances in life
- Around 17 per cent of male white-collar workers in China have had cosmetic treatments and most had their first procedure before the age of 30: iResearch
- While many men seek to enhance their appearance, Beijing is moving to reduce the prominence of ‘effeminate’ male role models
The 27-year-old researcher wanted medical procedures to transform his look from “engineering geek” to something he thinks will boost his life chances.
Beauty standards in China can be exacting, from pressure over skin tone, eye and nose shape to the controversial “little fresh meat” look – a buzzword used to describe handsome young men with delicate features.
“I feel I should be ‘fresh meat’ at my age, but I already look like a middle-aged uncle,” explained Xia.
Xia was in Beijing as he was preparing for surgery to plump out his features. He had already spent 40,000 yuan (US$6,200) on a face-filler procedure earlier this year.
“I grew up in the countryside – my face was dark, my skin was bad, I thought my appearance was not good in general,” he said, adding that he had long planned to rework his face.
