Chinese Women Warned Against Using "Nose Cushions"

原创 Charles L. theBeijinger

As educated and affluent as they have become, China's women have still had to deal with a rapidly changing standard of beauty in which trends are set overnight. And now that well-defined noses have become de rigueur among South Korean and Chinese movie stars, Chinese women find themselves at a loss to try to recreate the shapely profiles of their style icons.

However, with plastic surgery exclusively reserved for those who can afford it, Chinese women have turned to an easier alternative, one that costs less than RMB 10 and never requires a medical procedure.

Comes in three sizes, although for Asian noses there is usually just one

While it has been called a "nose cushion," the device is so well-regarded that it is more popularly known by its nickname: the "mystical nose beautifying device" (美鼻神器 měi bí shénqì).

For all the hype it receives, the "artifact" operates on a very simple premise: a stiff piece of plastic is shoved inside a nostril to make a nose stand out farther from a face. And yet, despite its popularity as a "facial tentpole," the device has been criticized by doctors as a potential health threat.

Meitan Hospital Director of Cosmetology Wang Chi said the device can cause infections and even be harmful if it was to be accidentally inhaled, reported China Daily.

It's like an IUD, only it helps you get pregnant

After first appearing in Chinese news last year, there has been one reported case in which a malfunctioning "mystical device" resulted in a trip to the emergency room.

Chongqing resident Miss Zeng was taken to the local hospital last November after the "nose cushion" she had bought online for RMB 13.8 disappeared up her nose, only to be discovered by doctors to have turned up in her stomach.

And although Miss Zeng turned out okay from the ordeal, CCTV nevertheless tried to dissuade women who have put their faith in the product. In its report, CCTV pointed out that the imported product used for sticking inside your nose was not covered by any Chinese regulations. And, to convince any viewers left with lingering doubts, even went so far as to quote Zhou Xin, director of the ear nose and throat department of the Chongqing Chinese Medicine Hospital that the nose cushion was "without scientific merit."

Left: before; right: after

As it were, several versions of the "mystical nose beautifying device" are available for purchase online, many of which use external devices to beautify their noses.

Beauty nose no bounds

Pointed noses are just the latest trend in Asian beauty standards that have popularized larger colored eyes, double-lidded eyelids, fairer skin, and colored hair. As numerous as these Western traits are in Eastern aesthetics, we're still waiting for English to make the jump from T-shirts to conversations.

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