Unforeseen side-effects of Plastic Surgery in China

Two women in China recently highlighted a potential pitfall to having cosmetic surgery on the face – a problem with changing identity when it comes to border control.

The women, in two separate incidents, struggled to pass through Gongbei port in Zhuhai, in the Guangdon Province in China, as their new faces didn’’t entirely correspond with the photographs on their ID cards.

Apparently the problem is becoming rife as Chinese women travel abroad to undergo surgery and come back with different looks to those on their ID. It is possible for them to re-enter China, however it slows the process down significantly and they need to be able to prove their identity in other ways.

In some cases this has included showing border control evidence of the plastic surgery, including photographs. The Guangzhou Daily, who reported the issue, linked it to a rising trend among young Chinese women to look like actress and singer Fan Bingbing, who is currently popular in China.

This includes facial alterations which would make some look considerably different to the photo on their ID, including eyelid surgery and chin alterations. It’’s rumoured that Fan herself has achieved her look through the help of a plastic surgeon.

Local police in the region have recommended women who are travelling for or following surgery to update their photo ID so as to avoid being held up at border control. It’’s certainly pause for thought for anyone having major facial surgery.