The most popular procedures among young people are for eyes, nose and facial contours, including jawline, forehead, and chin. [Photo By Yang Dong/For China Daily]

Millions of people in China - predominantly women - have had surgery in pursuit of beautiful looks, but Xiao is one of a rapidly increasing group that underlines a new trend. Those having cosmetic surgery once tended to be older people looking to restore a youthful allure, but these days it is increasingly young people in their 20s or early 30s, or even younger, who are willing to splash out for a physical makeover.

Recently SoYoung, an online service in China that puts potential cosmetic surgery patients in contact with the appropriate surgeons, did a survey of spending habits among college students and says 75 percent of the female respondents said they were open to the idea of having cosmetic surgery.

Jin Xing, the founder and chief executive officer of SoYoung, says the result surprised even him but that he eventually understood the dynamics behind it.

In Chinese society, he says, rapid economic change is making us all more competitive, and many people welcome anything that will give them an advantage over others. Further, it is natural for people to prefer beauty to the mundane, so when medical measures are available to improve one's looks, people will inevitably seize the opportunity, he says.

"When being beautiful produces money and greater opportunities, a decision to invest in cosmetic surgery seems like an entirely logical and worthwhile one."

A profile of SoYoung's customers also suggest people under 35 are accounting for a fast-growing share of the cosmetic surgery market in China. According to industry sources, the total size of the plastic surgery market in China is expected to be about 300 billion yuan ($47 billion) every year, with a growth rate of 30 percent. It is estimated that the market will reach 800 billion yuan in 2018.

About 70 percent of SoYoung's customers are 26 or younger; the figure was 50 percent when the company was founded three years ago, Jin says, adding that the great bulk of the remaining customers were in their 30s and 40s.

The demographics of clientele of other online services are similar, although customers aged above 40 may take up a larger share of the offline market, especially in small and remote areas, he says.

In Europe and the United States people generally seem to be more satisfied with looks than are their counterparts in China, and more than 70 percent of spending in the industry is for anti-aging procedures, such as anti-wrinkle measures and face-lifts. Those in China, Japan, South Korea and other East Asian countries are more likely to want to change their looks and spend on procedures that will change their facial and body features, such as double eyelid surgery, nose jobs, breast augmentation and jawline operations, Jin says.

In addition, young people are relatively open-minded, and are quick to adopt new ideas and practices, including those related to cosmetic surgery, Jin says.