She had to go under the knife

IT'S an industry built purely on image, but the actors, actresses and singers who turn to it for help like to keep it a secret.

It's plastic surgery. And many perfect-looking pop stars keep denying they have changed their facial appearance. Some even get furious about any claims that they've been under the knife.

So it was a bit shocking when Chinese singer Heng Yue boldly announced last month she would have plastic surgery, becoming the first celebrity to do so in the mainland.

Heng, with a broad range and penetrating voice, had been invited to sing the theme song for Chen Kaige's film The Promise and TV dramas such as Ma Dashuai and Liu Laogen. But the popularity of the songs overshadowed her. Her look just wasn't very charming.

On March 24, Heng, who declined to reveal her age, endured 18 operations on her face. It was a comprehensive 8-hour plastic surgery job including nose reshaping and eye operations, said to cost around 650,000 yuan.

"I'm so fond of singing," said Heng, "I'm hoping to go further in my career as a singer. However, I've found my plain looks are making me less competitive."

Heng said that many TV shows were interested in her singing, but rejected her, saying that she looked just so-so. So the chance went to someone who looked more attractive or charming on camera.

Open secret

Certainly, Heng's not the only star to go seeking perfection. Tian Yongcheng, a doctor specializing in plastic surgery, said that Heng was just one of about 200 stars he had operated on.

Surgery often costs around 200,000 yuan and requires seven or eight days for recovering.

"Whenever we turn on the TV, most of the celebrity faces on stage, I believe, have had operations," Tian said.

Once he went to a party of actors and actresses and saw many former patients. "Only one man waved hello and introduced me to others, while the rest all become nervous and were afraid that I might reveal their secret.

"Pop stars are reluctant to tell anyone about their surgery since they're under pressure from the public who find it hard to accept 'fake' beauty.

"But I don't see it as wrong if a person just wants to be perfect or have a more pleasant look for others to appreciate," Tian said.

Other countries
COMPARED with China, plastic surgery history is a more openly discussed matter in South Korea. Many actors and actresses don't treat it as a taboo and even admit that they have had it.
One example is actress Char Rim (Cai Lin) who said that she had had a nose enhancing job after graduating from school.
Doctor Tian Yongcheng, a plastic surgeon well-known in celebrity circles, said: "Many South Korean stars who admit to having operations actually mean to support the beauty industry. They're doing something patriotic to attract more customers from abroad."
In Hollywood, cosmetic surgery is still kept a bit secret, although the evidence is everywhere.
One of the most recent actresses to come under the microscope was 42-year-old Teri Hatcher, a single-mom heartthrob on the US TV show Desperate Housewives. In February, Hatcher denied using cosmetic surgery after a barrage of Internet reports said she had had it.
Shows like Desperate Housewives and Sex and the City seem to have created more opportunities for actresses in their 30s and 40s. In these shows, middle-aged women look attractive, perhaps, in some cases, with the help of a few cosmetic alterations. 21ST

Learn more about this author, Tuhou Liang.
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