One industry that has for long been on a boom in China and neighbouring countries is that of cosmetic surgery's. A growing number of Chinese women are using cosmetic procedures to achieve bigger eyes, higher cheekbones, narrower noses and skinnier legs — much in tandem with the West.

China's cosmetic surgery industry is only second to that of the United States — in terms of the total number of cosmetic procedures performed.

In pics: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/iranian-angelina-jolie-sahartabarofficial-588">This teen has undergone 50 surgeries to look like her idol Angelina Jolie</a>

Fuelled by rising incomes, the practice is not all about vanity. These women usually believe surgery would improve all aspects of their lives. While several seek to emulate a beauty ideal inspired by elements of the K-Pop culture, and the West, there also are women who succumb to the patriarchal ideology and look out for a husband, and sometimes, a better job, by resorting to a new "plastic" look. The practice has become so socially accepted in China that there are separate pageants for "artificial" beauties.

<img alt="Chinese beauty app" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="33990716-2386-4338-b538-0c38f6b6ec9c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/china%20beauty%20app.jpg" />

(Pic courtesy: Web-screenshot)

In 2017, more than 16.3 million women in China underwent plastic surgery to achieve the desired look — a steep rise from 7 million in 2014. The total revenue from the industry in the country is expected to exceed 360 billion yuan ($52 million) by 2023.

Apps that help, and clinics that don't

Applications, like So-Young International and GengMei, have played a major role in sensitising people for such procedures. So-Young International, a Chinese marketplace and social networking app for cosmetic surgery, started in 2014 aiming to connect clinics with patients and as a community for people interested in cosmetic procedures.

So-Young's strong Nasdaq trading debut in May, 2019 had then reflected keen interest in China’s booming plastic surgery market -- well substantiated by Wu Xiaochen's beauty story, one of the many narratives to have emerged out of the cosmetic procedure industry.

Also read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/iranian-instagram-star-arrested-for-posting-angelina-jolie-lookalike-pics-254433">&nbsp;Iranian Instagram star arrested for posting Angelina Jolie lookalike pics</a>

Wu, in the 16 years since that first procedure, had had over 100 surgeries, costing a staggering 4 million yuan (about $574,000).

Wu grew up in a middle-class family. She thought she wasn't pretty enough and felt insecure about her "small eyes and round face." So after her first successful procedure she said she had a facial liposuction -- followed by a facial contouring surgery.

She also had her nose bridge elevated -- all at 16. "Surgery has become like an addiction for me. Every two or three years, I have a few more procedures done," Wu told CNN.

One of the most requested procedures involves removing bulk from the face and body. Another is nose jobs.

<img alt="Chinese beauty app" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c0d897d3-cc83-46ec-a41a-42edba2780f6" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/china%20beauty%20app%201.jpeg" />

(Pic courtesy: Screenshot)

Another woman, Chen Yan, feared middle age dawning upon her, and saw cosmetic surgery as the solution.

She spent a whopping 52,515 yuan (S$10,704) in a quest for the perfect nose at Shanghai's private Huamei Medical Cosmetology Hospital.

According to a white paper published in 2019 by So-Young, women who go for cosmetic surgery are young -- more than half are under the age of 26 -- and are residents of the country's second and third tier cities.

The largest app to have helped women achieve the desired beauty standards is GengMei. It has 36 million users and lists almost 20,000 surgeons on its platform. It has an augmented reality feature that analyses a face and gives it a grade out of 100 based on criteria. It then makes suggestions for cosmetic surgery improvements.

Tencent backed So-Young has 2.47 million monthly active users and nearly 6,000 surgeons listed. It accounted for one third of China’s cosmetic treatment booked online in 2018, facilitating transactions worth 2.1 billion yuan.

To get the look they desire, many women undergo surgery, whereas others turn to reverse hyaluronic acid fillers. However, not all surgeries are successful. And these women are well aware of the horror stories of botched surgeries.

<img alt="Chinese beauty app" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="eaa6eedd-8020-4406-ab11-2e8c1b7431bf" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/china%20beauty%20app%202.jpg" />

(Pic courtesy: Screenshot)

Some of these clinics, associated with apps, use substandard fillers and anti-aging injectables with contaminants or fewer active parts than they should have.

"China's National Health Commission has identified 2,772 cases of illegal plastic surgery, during a year-long operation that started in May 2017. This led to more than 1,200 criminal prosecutions, according to a government release. The commission is considering establishing a blacklist of dangerous surgeons," a statement from the officials said.

Other plastic surgery platforms cashing in on China’s pursuit of beauty are Meituan (backed by Tencent) and Yuemei.&nbsp;

One industry that has for long been on a boom in China and neighbouring countries is that of cosmetic surgery's. A growing number of Chinese women are using cosmetic procedures to achieve bigger eyes, higher cheekbones, narrower noses and skinnier legs — much in tandem with the West.

One industry that has for long been on a boom in China and neighbouring countries is that of cosmetic surgery's. A growing number of Chinese women are using cosmetic procedures to achieve bigger eyes, higher cheekbones, narrower noses and skinnier legs — much in tandem with the West. China's cosmetic surgery industry is only second to that of the United States — in terms of the total number of cosmetic procedures performed. In pics: This teen has undergone 50 surgeries to look like her idol Angelina Jolie Fuelled by rising incomes, the practice is not all about vanity. These women usually believe surgery would improve all aspects of their lives. While several seek to emulate a beauty ideal inspired by elements of the K-Pop culture, and the West, there also are women who succumb to the patriarchal ideology and look out for a husband, and sometimes, a better job, by resorting to a new "plastic" look. The practice has become so socially accepted in China that there are separate pageants for "artificial" beauties. (Pic courtesy: Web-screenshot) In 2017, more than 16.3 million women in China underwent plastic surgery to achieve the desired look — a steep rise from 7 million in 2014. The total revenue from the industry in the country is expected to exceed 360 billion yuan ($52 million) by 2023. Apps that help, and clinics that don't Applications, like So-Young International and GengMei, have played a major role in sensitising people for such procedures. So-Young International, a Chinese marketplace and social networking app for cosmetic surgery, started in 2014 aiming to connect clinics with patients and as a community for people interested in cosmetic procedures. So-Young's strong Nasdaq trading debut in May, 2019 had then reflected keen interest in China’s booming plastic surgery market -- well substantiated by Wu Xiaochen's beauty story, one of the many narratives to have emerged out of the cosmetic procedure industry. Also read: Iranian Instagram star arrested for posting Angelina Jolie lookalike pics Wu, in the 16 years since that first procedure, had had over 100 surgeries, costing a staggering 4 million yuan (about $574,000). Wu grew up in a middle-class family. She thought she wasn't pretty enough and felt insecure about her "small eyes and round face." So after her first successful procedure she said she had a facial liposuction -- followed by a facial contouring surgery. She also had her nose bridge elevated -- all at 16. "Surgery has become like an addiction for me. Every two or three years, I have a few more procedures done," Wu told CNN. One of the most requested procedures involves removing bulk from the face and body. Another is nose jobs. (Pic courtesy: Screenshot) Another woman, Chen Yan, feared middle age dawning upon her, and saw cosmetic surgery as the solution. She spent a whopping 52,515 yuan (S$10,704) in a quest for the perfect nose at Shanghai's private Huamei Medical Cosmetology Hospital. According to a white paper published in 2019 by So-Young, women who go for cosmetic surgery are young -- more than half are under the age of 26 -- and are residents of the country's second and third tier cities. The largest app to have helped women achieve the desired beauty standards is GengMei. It has 36 million users and lists almost 20,000 surgeons on its platform. It has an augmented reality feature that analyses a face and gives it a grade out of 100 based on criteria. It then makes suggestions for cosmetic surgery improvements. Tencent backed So-Young has 2.47 million monthly active users and nearly 6,000 surgeons listed. It accounted for one third of China’s cosmetic treatment booked online in 2018, facilitating transactions worth 2.1 billion yuan. To get the look they desire, many women undergo surgery, whereas others turn to reverse hyaluronic acid fillers. However, not all surgeries are successful. And these women are well aware of the horror stories of botched surgeries. (Pic courtesy: Screenshot) Some of these clinics, associated with apps, use substandard fillers and anti-aging injectables with contaminants or fewer active parts than they should have. "China's National Health Commission has identified 2,772 cases of illegal plastic surgery, during a year-long operation that started in May 2017. This led to more than 1,200 criminal prosecutions, according to a government release. The commission is considering establishing a blacklist of dangerous surgeons," a statement from the officials said. Other plastic surgery platforms cashing in on China’s pursuit of beauty are Meituan (backed by Tencent) and Yuemei.

How apps are changing China's cosmetic surgery industry — one face at a time

Rival apps could obtain more screen time on iPhones as Apple Inc. is considering opening access of certain apps to third-party services. Customer will be able to use the iPad and the HomePod speaker to enjoy music services provided by parties other than Apple, a decision that comes after criticism that the company provides an unfair advantage to its in-house products.

Rival apps could obtain more screen time on iPhones as Apple Inc. is considering opening access of certain apps to third-party services. Customer will be able to use the iPad and the HomePod speaker to enjoy music services provided by parties other than Apple, a decision that comes after criticism that the company provides an unfair advantage to its in-house products. The technology giant is deliberating whether to allow users the choice between a third-party web browser and mail applications as their default options on Apple’s mobile device, which would replace the company's Safari browser and Mail app. Apple has not allowed its users to replace pre-installed apps such as these with third-party services ever since its inception in 2008. This has created obstacles for competition between developers and has raised concerns from lawmakers who seem eager to probe antitrust violations in the technology industry. Also Read: EU lawmakers, with eye on Apple, call for common mobile charger Two of the most-used apps on the iPhone and iPad are the web browser and mail, and rival apps such as Google Chrome, Firefox, Gmail and Microsoft Outlook have been locked out of this niche. Currently, users are automatically sent to Apple's web browser Safari or Apple Mail whenever they receive an email or the link to a website. No option to switch to another email program is provided by the company. The closed system which prohibits users from setting third-party apps as defaults were questioned during a hearing of a US House of Representatives antitrust panel. To have a default app on the world’s best-selling smartphone is valuable because consumers are subtly coaxed and prodded into using this more-established software rather than alternatives. Tethering users to Apple’s services is important to the company as the growth of smartphone demand slows and sales of music, video, cloud storage and other subscriptions make up a greater share of the iPhone maker’s total revenue. 38 default apps on iPhones and iPads are currently installed by the company, including the Safari web browser, Maps, Messages and Mail. [ Logo of Apple Inc. (Courtesy: Reuters) ] Apple was accused in 2019 by Stockholm-based Spotify, which submitted an antitrust complaint to the European Union saying that Apple squeezes rival services by imposing a 30 per cent cut for subscriptions made via the App Store. Apple defended its position by arguing that Spotify wants the benefits of the App Store without paying for them. To support its claims, Spotify singled out the inability to run on the HomePod and become the default music player in Siri, Apple’s voice-activated digital assistant. Also Read: Apple's iPhone sales in China up 18 per cent in December: Report Apple is reportedly working on permitting third-party music services to run directly on the HomePod. third-party music apps will be able to stream from an iPhone or iPad to the HomePod via Apple’s AirPlay technology. Given that the HomePod has not been performing at par with its rivals such as the Amazon Echo in functionality, opening the product to additional music service may be a boon. Another matter reportedly being deliberated at Apple is whether to let users set competing for music services as the default with Siri on iPhones and iPads. Presently, Apple Music is the default music app, and if the company changes the arrangement a user would be able to play music from Spotify or Pandora automatically when asking Siri for a song. Final decisions on these matters are yet to be made and potential changes to third-party apps on Apple’s devices and the HomePod are reportedly still under discussion or in early stages of development. If Apple decides to commit to this decision, they could reportedly appear as soon as later this year via the upcoming iOS 14 software update and a corresponding HomePod software update. new iPhone and iPad software versions are announced by Apple in June and released in September around the launch of new models for the iPhone. Apple is planning to focus on performance and quality for this year’s update as the current version, iOS 13, has been riddled with bugs that upset some users.

Third-party apps to get more screen time on Apple products after criticism

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How apps are changing China's cosmetic surgery industry — one face at a time

Third-party apps to get more screen time on Apple products after criticism