Nip, tuck catching on with young students

Hao Lijun has had a full schedule since early June, especially after the national college entrance exam, or gaokao, with a noticeable increase lately in recent high school graduates and college-age students seeking plastic surgery.

"People are seeking medical cosmetology procedures at a younger age to improve their appearance. This is especially the case for high school graduates hoping to take on a fresh look when entering a new environment," said Hao, director of the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University Plastic and Beauty Center in Heilongjiang province.

Over the past month, the center has seen a 100 to 200 percent increase in patients, with 80 percent recent high school graduates. To accommodate the demand and ensure safety, all medical staff at the center have foregone their summer vacations, doubling the number of daily surgeries possible from around 15 to some 30.