Portrait of a Chinese Cosmetic Surgeon
The cosmetic surgery wave seems to have flooded most of the world, including China with its 1.3 billion people. Competition for jobs is motivating more Chinese people to have cosmetic procedures done, most often eye and nose surgeries. About one million such people have procedures done each year and the cosmetic surgery industry is estimated at $2.4 billion annually and growing.
One Shi Sanba, a former opera singer and now 55 years old, went so far as to become a plastic surgeon herself. She has had upwards of fifty procedures done on herself, so many that she can no longer remember the number. Although she was pretty from childhood, she has had her eyelids folded, nose raised, skin smoothed out, belly flattened, breasts made firmer, and many other improvements.
Her Own Clinic
She now runs her own cosmetic surgery clinic in Beijing, employing about 80 nurses and doctors. According to a Reuters report, she explains her multiple surgeries this way:
“I have to continue to try different, new materials for plastic surgery so I can tell my clients first-hand information, such as how I feel when I have them inside my body.”
Shi Sanba grew up poor under a Communist rule which disapproved of female beauty. But as China’s standard of living has risen, more people are pushing for personal success and competing harder for the best jobs. Personal appearance can make a difference in this.
Shi Sanba practiced cosmetic surgery for about ten years before she opened her own clinic. It is one of thousands of such clinics throughout China but is well-known because of Shi Sanba’s extensive advertising. One enters a white lobby filled with long mirrors, surgical posters, and post-surgery photos of previous clients. The clinic treats a continuous influx of women looking to improve their appearance for a competitive edge.
A Handsome Income
Shi Sanba’s income has enabled her to buy a home in one of Beijing’s fashionable areas and to send her son to school in the U.S. When compared to Michael Jackson in regard to her extensive cosmetic surgery, she responds:
“The key difference between me and Michael Jackson is that he violated the laws of nature, while I am following them.”
One has to wonder how undergoing 50+ cosmetic surgeries is a way of following the laws of nature.
At Cosmetic Surgical Center Dr. Rai is careful about screening people for good candidacy. Some people do have multiple procedures and may have them all done at the same time. This reduces anesthesia and surgery time, makes for fewer incisions and requires less recovery time overall. Moderation is a wise policy, however.
If you would like to know more about certain procedures, and whether you would be a good candidate for them, please contact our Dallas, Texas cosmetic surgery office today.
Dr. Vasdev Rai
Dr. Vasdev Rai has performed more than 25,000 cosmetic surgeries over his more than 30 years in practice as a Dallas plastic surgeon. He is a board-certified plastic surgeon who was first certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery in 1983. Learn More...
Dr. Surjit Rai
Dr. Surjit Rai was born and raised in Plano, Texas. Being the son of a plastic surgeon, Dr. Rai had the unique opportunity to see first-hand the impact a plastic surgeon can have. He knew at a young age that he would dedicate his life and academic career towards the goal of becoming a plastic surgeon. Learn More...