China's plastic surgery queen
Shi Sanba is a face of new China, a face that has had dozens of cosmetic procedures. CNN's John Vause reports
There is no mistaking who runs this plastic surgery clinic in Beijing. There’s a lifelike mannequin in the foyer, her oversized photo on the wall, oh, there she is. She is Sanba, 56 years old, divorced and a walking billboard for almost every cosmetic procedure.
“I’m an example for all Chinese women who pursue beauty,” she told me. “Most of them are my fans.”
Sanba has had her wrinkles smoothed, chin shaped, nose raised, breasts firmed, stomach flattened and more. So many operations, she says she's lost count. This is how she looked 20 years ago before having any work done. All of this has turned her to a mini celebrity here and that keeps the customers coming in.
This year, she says, about 3000 people had some kind of cosmetic procedure performed, by one of the dozens of surgeons who works for her. And while Chinese economy has dramatically slowed, she doesn’t expect any major impact on her business.
“The desire for beauty is getting stronger and stronger,” she says, “the old want to be young; the ugly want to be pretty.”
Twenty-three year(句首一般不用阿拉伯数字)old Fen Shu wants her chin bones, jaw, chin, lips and nose reshaped. “I work in international finance,” she says, “I have to meet many different people, and I think a good appearance will help me make a better connection.”
Each year, the Chinese spend more than 2 billion US dollars on some kind of cosmetic procedure. Many undergoing the knife are students, often paid for by their parents, who believe a better look will lead to a better job.
Sanba says business picks up during June and July when school finishes. It’s all about trying to stand out in a crowd. Not easy, when you are in a crowd of more than a billion people.
John Vause, CNN Beijing