According to a senior Chinese cosmetic surgeon, increasing numbers of Chinese politicians are turning to cosmetic surgery to improve their appearances.

Chen Huanran, a senior surgeon at the Plastic Surgery Hospital at Beijing’s Union Medical College, over 500 officials are now being treated each year.

Chen claims that part of the reason is that officials are increasingly asked to make public appearances and to go on TV and therefore they want to ensure they look their best. Government officials are supposed to have strong features and cosmetic surgery can ensure that they make the most of their facial features.

“The officials have to go on television much more than before, and have to make many more appearances in public,” Dr Chen told British newspaper The Telegraph.

“They want to make sure they have the strong features that government officials are supposed to have,

“The number of operations on officials has risen quickly in recent years,”.

“Now at least 20 per cent of my patients are government officials.”

“The officials are usually between 40 and 60 years old. They simply want to look younger, but they don’t want others to notice any changes.”

Dr Chen also claims that many senior officials are not keen on people knowing they have had cosmetic surgery therefore the operations are carried out at night when the hospital is shut and they are less likely to be spotted. Chen’s hospital aids this secrecy by not publicly giving out his address. His hospital is said to be away from the main streets in Beijing and has discreet frosted windows.

The most popular procedure is eyelid lifts. Botox and wrinkle fillers are also popular.

(Photo Credit: Jeff Osborn)