Via Chinablawg, who does a bit of hand-wringing: In China, cosmetic surgery on the rise By Steve Friess:

Analysts see the rise in cosmetic surgery as yet another example of how the once cloistered nation has opened up to Western businesses -- and influences. Starbucks franchises dot most major Chinese cities and new housing subdivisions bear American names like "Orange County" and "Palm Springs," so specialists figured it was only a matter of time before obsession with appearance became another import.

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"This is related to the influx of corporations like Avon in Asia and other makeup companies, all the same kinds of corporations that make a lot of money off women in the US changing their bodies," said Allaine Cerwonka, an assistant professor of women's studies and political science at Georgia State University in Atlanta, who teaches a course called "Globalization and Gender."

"We have a culture that makes women feel bad about themselves in order to make money. . . . Now they have a global market for it," Cerwonka said.

She noted that the most popular surgeries in China -- and part of Hao's first round -- are to create "double eyelids" and to narrow the nose, a reflection of a Western notion of beauty. For Asian women in the United States, double-eyelid surgery, in which a crease is added to the upper lid, is also a top cosmetic operation because many say they believe "single eyelids" make them look sleepy, Cerwonka said.

Hao insists her reasons are all her own. With two operations down, she now has had her eyelids and nose done, calves and buttocks reshaped, and breasts enlarged. Still to come are liposuction, hairline correction, and wrinkle and eyebag removal.

She says that she is so excited about the changes that from now on she will celebrate two birthdays: her real one and the date of her first surgery.

"Before, a lot of men liked my personality and character, but I lost a lot of guys who were overly concerned about a woman's appearance," said Hao, who is unemployed and says she's been dating a Chinese-American man. "Now, all kinds of guys will like me no matter if they're interested in appearance or character."

Although such comments might shock Western feminists, there appears to be little public hand-wringing over them here.

Nowhere in the Chinese media has there been a debate about the surgeries. The state-run, English-language China Daily cited critics of the publicity stunt but also wrote warmly of the "crack team" of doctors working on Hao.

I hope it doesn't turn out like any of the victims at Awful Plastic Surgery.