Chinese women want to change the shape of their faces, while men want straighter noses, a recent survey by the Beijing-based Horizon Research Consultancy Group has found.

The survey polled nearly 1,600 people aged 18 and 55 from Shanghai, Tianjin and Shenzhen.

The results were given on the independent polling company's website.

Almost 33 percent of women wanted to improve the contours of their faces, the survey found. Eyelid surgery was second most popular at 29 percent. A face shaped like a goose egg and double eyelids were favorite, it showed.

Fat removal from the stomach and waist ranked third, followed by liposuction of the legs. Nose sculpting came last among the top five most sought-after procedures for women.

A Beijing-based cosmetic surgeon surnamed Huang said women wanted to look more Caucasian.

They particularly wanted to look leggy, busty and skinny, he said.

In comparison, men were less concerned about fat and only 7.5 percent would consider liposuction, the survey said.

Nearly 45 percent of men said they wanted to straighten their noses to give them a more masculine look.

Nearly 33 percent said they would consider double eyelid surgery, followed by cosmetic improvement of the teeth and face shaping.

Many men did not want their partner to have breast implants, even though women did it to please them, cosmetic surgeon Huang said.

There are about 1 million plastic surgery operations performed every year in China, according to official estimates.

(China Daily September 25, 2007)